Book Review: Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

The good thing about good authors is that you can read them in any format or length. Though Haruki Murakami is widely popular for lengthy novels, ‘Men Without Women’ is a collection of seven good long stories. The stories are about men and women – explores the possibilities that fill each other’s lives. Broadly putting, all the stories are about men who have lost their women by any means, like death, taken by some other man. Also what men think about women is also captured beautifully in each of the story. How a man thinks of a woman differs from one man to another.

For instance, in the first story, ‘Drive my Car’, Kafaku is of the opinion that a female driver can either be too aggressive or a timid one. Thus, he fears when there is a woman behind the wheel. He is a famous theatre artist but because of some problem his driving license has been put off. On recommendation of a friend, who runs a garage, he unwittingly hires a young female driver. She passes the test and he is surprised to see that she is way more professional and calmer than male drivers. She is a brave, smooth and careful driver. She doesn’t fall into any category that is deep inside Kafaku’s subconscious. The image he held for a female driver changes eventually. Kafaku is a widowed and to her he tells the tale of her wife.

So, in every story you will find a man or two, who then narrate one more tale about the women that was part of their lives. Thus, there is a story inside a story. ‘Men Without Women’ is the last story. In that story, the narrator feels devastated when the news of his lover’s suicide reaches up to him. The sadness that surrounds him then forces him into the category of ‘Men Without Women’.

All stories sound alike but they aren’t. They differ in intensity and their situations differ too. Haruki is a Japanese writer, her books and stories are translated into various languages in order to reach the wider reading audiences. No matter they are translated but a story written by her never loses it gist and mood.

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