The death of a dream can be, in a way, sadder than that of a living being. I think what makes me sad about the girls I knew growing old is that it forces me to admit, all over again, that my youthful dreams are gone forever. From the first page, the nostalgic tone is set: The longest story in the book is an excellent piece on nostalgia and the memories of youth, and in another teen anecdote, we’re told the story of an old flame and a visit the narrator paid to her house back in his school days.

A more substantial variation on the theme comes via ‘With the Beatles’.

The opening piece, ‘Cream’, sees a teenager lured to a non-existent concert, and while resting on a park bench afterwards, he has an encounter with an enigmatic old man talking about circles. It’s a lovely collection of pieces, and anyone who enjoys the Murakami style, ably recreated (or perhaps just created…) here by Gabriel, will have a great time sipping on their coffee (or whiskey) while slowly turning the page.Īs was the case with Murakami’s previous collection, Men Without Women, several stories here take us back to the writer/protagonist’s youth. So, is this vintage Murakami or more strange ideas gone badly wrong? Somewhere in the middle, of course – for more details, step this way…įirst Person Singular (translated by Philip Gabriel) is a collection of eight stories first published in Japan back in 2020, and those with a keen eye for freebies may have already tried a few of them, as several have appeared at The New Yorker and elsewhere. However, that’s not to say that I wasn’t looking forward to getting around to the latest book, and after a random purchase of the paperback earlier this year, I allowed myself the luxury of a review-free read before trying it again a couple of months later. While I’ve been enjoying Haruki Murakami’s writing for decades now, my admiration for the writer has certainly cooled a little after a few less-than-stellar books, and I don’t really rush to source and review his new releases anymore.

Murakami first person singular