Rodolfo reviewed Uomini senza donne by Haruki Murakami
Review of 'Uomini senza donne' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Piacevole ma non imperdibile.
Hardcover, 254 pages
German language
Published Oct. 4, 2014 by Dumont.
Männern, die keine Frauen haben versammelt sechs neue Erzählungen Murakamis »long short stories«, die wohl zum Zartesten und Anrührendsten zählen, das je von ihm zu lesen war. Und doch sind sie typisch Murakami, denn fast immer geht es darin um versehrte, einsame Männer. Männer, denen etwas ganz Entscheidendes fehlt. Mit Von Männern, die keine Frauen haben wendet sich Japans wichtigster Autor nach sieben Jahren, in denen er mit großen Romanen wie 1Q84 und Die Pilgerjahre des farblosen Herrn Tazaki Welterfolge feierte, erstmals wieder der kürzeren Form zu. Es ist sein erster Band mit Erzählungen seit dem Publikumsliebling Als ich eines schönen Morgens im April das 100%ige Mädchen sah.
Piacevole ma non imperdibile.
There's a common thread running through what little Murakami I've read; or perhaps better said, a common thread not-running: Connection. His characters all seem to go through the motions of living, but entirely in a cargo-cult way. They talk, drink, fuck, sometimes even laugh, but it's all hollow. Emotionless. There's no love of any kind, no real communication or listening or feeling. Is that the point? Is Murakami satirizing the rat race? Highlighting the uniqueness of our one life and the quickness with which we turn our back on it? That's the other thing about Murakami: I'm not really smart enough to get him.
Honestly, one of the worst things I have ever read.
Either the author is misogynistic or he likes to repeatedly write characters who are. Either way women exist in this book only as objects for men to think about "having".
It's appalling. Don't read it.
In many of these the man is some kind of victim of infidelity or caprice and the women's intentions or motives are not explored, so it's a little mopey