First Person Singular is a new collection of short stories from renowned author Haruki Murakami, who has written acclaimed novels such as Norwegian Wood, Killing Commendatore and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

The eight stories presented in this collection ebb and flow between the author’s personal accounts and a fictitious narrator. Like his previous works, his writing is straightforward and inhabits a contemplative style that leaves you feeling nostalgic.

Throughout his stories, you’re transported to the ’60s, a period of time that often features in Murakami’s works. Music plays a central part in many of the stories with the likes of Charlie Parker, the Beatles, and Schumann appearing throughout.

However, most unsurprising is what lies at the helm of most of these stories; the enigmatic woman that so often Murakami fixates on. Her presence is used more as a narrational tool, to help the narrator ponder over his own misgivings.

We see this in the following stories: in ‘On a Stone Pillow’ which follows the narrator as he divulges a story about a woman who he once slept with and never meets again. In ‘With the Beatles’, the narrator reminisces about a past relationship. And in ‘Carnaval’, which begins with the sentence ‘Of all the women I’ve known until now, she was the ugliest.’

Despite these trite omissions, the surreal and whimsical qualities of his stories that many of his fans have grown to love feature throughout this collection – the appearance of a talking monkey, a strange philosophical old man, and the standard unexplainable workings of the universe.

I found some of the stories in this collection engrossing and unique, however there were also some I found disturbing. As a Murakami fan myself, I have followed many of his works and will continue to do so.

Reviewed by Akina Hansen