Men Without Women Review
Haunting, beautiful, playful and relatable
Haruki Murakami is arguably the most well-known Japanese author for western audiences. With a writing career that spans over forty years, Murakami has been delighting readers for decades with his signature surrealist humour and bittersweet reflection on the transience of life.
While Murakami has written some wonderful novels, I’ve found myself gravitating towards his short stories lately. One of his most memorable collections is Men Without Women, a poignant series of short stories that delves into the concept of loneliness and what it means for different people.
In the absence of female company, all of the men in this collection have lost something. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s obvious. The reader feels it in every word and that is Murakami’s talent on full display.
Loss, low-self-esteem and triumph
Men Without Women is made up of seven stories and the first, ‘Drive My Car’, depicts the life of a stage actor called Kafuku and his relationship with his female driver Misaki Watari. Kafuku desires to be driven around in silence, which works for Misaki, who’s content to leave her past behind and focus on the simple act of driving.
