This is actually the first book by Haruki Murakami that I've ever picked up and read, despite knowing of his legendary reputation for years. I guess I never felt like I knew where to start with his work, and my entry here was the desire to read the stories that inspired the film adaptation Drive My Car, both of which are contained in this collection. (And of course, I still have yet to watch the movie itself, but it gave me a good excuse!)

I was quite moved by how deeply wrought the complex emotions of these stories are despite some hesitations going in. I wasn't sure how I felt about the conceit of this collection before delving in (would it feel misogynistic? Overly masculine?) and was pleased that in fact, there is much more nuance to these stories and characters. There are a plethora of perspectives covered in these stories, and all felt very rooted in a specific experience, in dealing with fallout or absence rather than just the story of these men in isolation. While these stories feel drawn from reality and the contemporary experience, there are some of the surrealist aspects that I was expecting from my knowledge of Murakami's work, which definitely kept me engaged. 

It's clear that great care went into the translation of these stories into English, and I commend the translators for their work. I think this was a more manageable way to dip my toes into the Murakami waters, and while I'm not tripping over myself to get my hands on more of his books, I'd definitely be open to exploring his backlist further. 

The standouts for me in this collection were: 
"Yesterday"
"An Independent Organ"
"Scheherazade"
"Kino"