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Elephant Vanishes

the ELEPHANT VANISHES

"he had a memory like an elephant, once he had some picky thing on you, he'd never let go"

Author : Haruki Murakami
Published : 1993

the Elephant Vanishes is a collection of  17 short stories written by the famous Haruki Murakami.

I am so ambitious to read all of Murakami's work until I don't realize that I buy collection of short stories. I thought at first it is a novel.

The reason why I'd rather to read Novel than short stories is I think Murakami's work can't be finished in several pages or it will be hangin' in the thick air.

I love Murakami's that's why I demand longer write and usually his work is unbelievably surreal.


In the Elephant Vanishes, Murakami of course being Murakami with his stronger surreal-mark. Among 17 short stories, what i love the most is not story about how Elephant vanishes into thin air, but "Family affair"

Family affair told about two siblings, older brother and his little sister who live together in the Tokyo (if i am not mistaken). For years, both of them done well together. the sister went to college, and the brother working. Their schedule almost made them has no chance to meet though in one apartment.

But lately, when the sister is engaged and found new important person in her life, she suddenly sees every thing wrong in her older brother. The way he live, the way he handle problem or just the way he didn't do his laundry.

Their simple and short fight (because just few pages),I thought very real, a common fight that we usually face in our real world. I don't know what the reason, but Murakami successes to capture their psychology and mental map.

I don't have exactly word to describe it. Some people sees Murakami's is way too absurd, but yeah sometimes he is, but the way he convey story is absolutely brilliant, and so far no one can beat him.
It is like he can read mine, and i can read his.

I love the story, but unfortunately not entirely stories.I give 3 out of 5 stars for the Elephant Vanishes.

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