Book Review – Men Without Women

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami (Harvill Seeker) ISBN: 978-1-911-21537-0

A short story collection by a master storyteller, Men Without Women tells the stories of lonely men. They are men who been loved and left and betrayed by the females in their lives.

The stories are subtle, quiet, and elegant, but lethal in their extraordinary ordinariness. Characters include an actor, a student, a plastic surgeon; men who have all loved and lost or ran away before they could do either.

These stories have a subtle humour that result in a smirk. Murakami showcases men as the hapless victims, fallen prey to the wiles of women. The book is hypnotic, enthralling, and makes me wish I could read Japanese

Mia Botha
4/5