“All fiction is magic. That’s the thought that occurred to me often as I read First Person Singular, the brilliant new book of stories by Haruki Murakami. . . . Whatever you want to call Murakami’s work—magic realism, supernatural realism—he writes like a mystery tramp, exposing his global readership to the essential and cosmic (yes, cosmic!) questions that only art can…
Translated from the Japanese by Alfred Birnbaum His fantasies, with their easy reference to western pulp fiction and music, retain a beauty of the mind ― Guardian Murakami's bold willingness to go straight-over-the-top has always been a signal indication of his genius...a powerful melange of disillusioned radicalism, keen intelligence, wicked sarcasm and a general allegiance to the surreal. If Murakami is…
A story of love in a cool climate, intensely romantic and weepily beautiful...it is startlingly different: a true original ― Guardian Casablanca remade Japanese style...It is dream-like writing, laden with scenes which have the radiance of a poem ― The Times This wise and beautiful book is full of hidden truths ― New York Times
'Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories' - Neil Gaiman
A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2020 “A compelling protagonist . . . Like Japanese brush painting, the author’s simple, clear prose captures Miwako’s vulnerability and complexity. Also vividly drawn are Fumi and Chie, each having built their own unusual protective personas that are gradually revealed. An eerie and elegant puzzle.” —Kirkus Reviews
