is a 2002

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

edited by

Japanese author This is an alphabetical list of writers who are Japanese, or are famous for having written in the Japanese language. Writers are listed by the native order of Japanese names, family name followed by given name to ensure consistency although some ...

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

. Despite the theme's happy connotations most of the short stories have a dark, melancholic atmosphere.

Editions

Murakami selected and translated the texts, adding an original short story of his (later collected into his own ''

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a collection of 24 short stories by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The stories contained in the book were written between 1980 and 2005, and published in Japan in various magazines and collections. The contents of this compilation was selec ...

'', 2006). For the English edition at Harvill Press (using the original English-language versions of the stories), he added an introduction and selected one more story. For the Japanese reprint, he added two stories. The main editions are thus: * 2002: Japanese-language, 11 stories. * 2004: English-language, 12 stories plus introduction. * 2006: Japanese-language, 13 stories.

The 2004 English edition of the anthology starts with an introduction by Haruki Murakami, where he speaks about his birthday and of

birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many relig ...

s in general (for example he mentions his visit

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

's farm, which he did because he liked London's writings and because they share the same birthday). It compiles: * ("Introduction : My birthday, your birthday", by Haruki Murakami — added to English ed. only) * " Forever Overhead" (by

David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing. Wallace is widely known for his 1996 novel '' Infinite Jest'', whi ...

) * "

Turning Turning is a machining process in which a cutting tool, typically a non-rotary tool bit, describes a helix toolpath by moving more or less linearly while the workpiece rotates. Usually the term "turning" is reserved for the generation of ...

" (by Lynda Sexson) * "

The Birthday Cake ''The Birthday Cake'' is a 2021 American crime thriller film directed by Jimmy Giannopoulos, from a screenplay by Diomedes Raul Bermudez, Shiloh Fernandez and Giannopoulos. It is the feature directorial debut for Giannopoulos, who previously direc ...

" (by

Daniel Lyons Daniel Lyons (born 1960) is an American writer. He was a senior editor at ''Forbes'' magazine and a writer at ''Newsweek'' before becoming editor of ReadWrite. In March 2013 he left ''ReadWrite'' to accept a position at HubSpot. Lyons is the aut ...

) * " Timothy's Birthday" (by

William Trevor William Trevor Cox (24 May 1928 – 20 November 2016), known by his pen name William Trevor, was an Irish novelist, playwright, and short story writer. One of the elder statesmen of the Irish literary world, he is widely regarded as one of the ...

) * " Dundun" (by

Denis Johnson Denis Hale Johnson (July 1, 1949 – May 24, 2017) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his debut short story collection, '' Jesus' Son'' (1992). His most successful novel, ''Tree of Smoke'' (2007) ...

) * " The Moor" (by

Russell Banks Russell Banks (born March 28, 1940) is an American writer of fiction and poetry. As a novelist, Banks is best known for his "detailed accounts of domestic strife and the daily struggles of ordinary often-marginalized characters". His stories usua ...

) * " Angel of Mercy, Angel of Death" (by

Ethan Canin Ethan Andrew Canin (born July 19, 1960) is an American author, educator, and physician. He is a member of the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa. Canin was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while his parents were vacatio ...

) * "

The Birthday Present ''The Birthday Present'' is a 1957 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson. The film also featured Thorley Walters and Ian Bannen in small roles. Plot Simon Scott, a top toy salesman, returns from a business trip to Germany with a watch hidd ...

" (by Andrea Lee) * " The Bath" (by

Raymond Carver Raymond Clevie Carver Jr. (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988) was an American short story writer and poet. He contributed to the revitalization of the American short story during the 1980s. Early life Carver was born in Clatskanie, Oregon, a mi ...

) * "

A Game of Dice A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

" (by

Paul Theroux Paul Edward Theroux (born April 10, 1941) is an American novelist and travel writer who has written numerous books, including the travelogue, '' The Great Railway Bazaar'' (1975). Some of his works of fiction have been adapted as feature films. He ...

) * "

Close to the Water's Edge Close may refer to: Music * ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988 * ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017 * ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969 * "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014 * "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016 * "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...

" (by

Claire Keegan Claire Keegan (born 1968) is an Irish writer known for her short stories, which have been published in ''The New Yorker'', ''Best American Short Stories'', ''Granta'', and ''The Paris Review''. Biography Born in County Wicklow in 1968, Keegan is ...

) — (added to 2004 English hardback edition, 2006 Japanese edition and 2006 English paperback edition.) * " The Ride" (by

Lewis Robinson Lewis Robinson is an American author. His first book, ''Officer Friendly and Other Stories'', was published by HarperCollins in 2003, and his second book, the novel ''Water Dogs'', was published by Random House in 2009. A graduate of Middlebury Col ...

) — (added to 2006 Japanese edition and English paperback only) * "

Birthday Girl ''Birthday Girl'' is a 2001 Erotic film, erotic comedy thriller film directed by Jez Butterworth. The plot focuses on English bank clerk John Buckingham, who orders a Russians, Russian mail-order bride, Nadia. It becomes clear upon her arrival ...

" (by

)

References

Works by Haruki Murakami 2002 anthologies Fiction anthologies {{Japan-lit-stub

Editions

Contents

References