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The Elephant Vanishes

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The Elephant Vanishes

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Nezar Alderazi, Susan Momoko Hingley
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Brought to you by Penguin.

A dizzying short story collection that displays Murakami's genius for uncovering the surreal in the everyday, the extraordinary within the ordinary

*Featuring the story 'Barn Burning', the inspiration behind the Palme d'Or nominated film Burning*

When a man's favourite elephant vanishes, the balance of his whole life is subtly upset. A couple's midnight hunger pangs drive them to hold up a McDonald's. A woman finds she is irresistible to a small green monster that burrows through her front garden. An insomniac wife wakes up in a twilight world of semi-consciousness in which anything seems possible - even death.

In every one of these stories Murakami makes a determined assault on the normal.

© Haruki Murakami 1993 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Absurdist Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Short Stories Elephant
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Critic reviews

How does Murakami manage to make poetry while writing of contemporary life and emotions? I am weak-kneed with admiration
Enchanting...intriguing... All of these tales have a wonderfully surreal quality and a hip, witty tone
All the stories take place in parallel worlds not so much remote from ordinary life as hidden within its surfaces: secret alleys that afford unexpected - and unsettling - views
Like the best thriller fiction, it nags you with the sensation that Something Nasty is about to happen
Most collections of short stories work by the interplay of different voices. This one offers the more satisfying rewards of a novel: unity of tone and a richness of recurring detail that creates its own texture: spaghetti, lawns, hamburgers, beer-drinking, kid sisters, Sunday afternoons, a man's name
All stars
Most relevant
Reminiscent of R A Lafferty in places, a nice collection of short stories in the usual mystical Haruki Murakami style. Well narrated, too. Very enjoyable.

Fabulous

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Great book , fantastic narration he is a brilliant writer , read so many books by Murakami all so good .

Elephant Vanishes

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Some weird and wacky stuff to enjoy in here but some I literally fell asleep to

Hit and miss

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I have always enjoyed reading Murakami, but ‘the elephant vanishes’ is utterly meaningless and boring. How can the author and publisher publish something like this. Is it greed? I will think twice before I read another Murakami!
/Susanne

So disappointing

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