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A wonderfully refreshing collection of short stories which offers a varying array of explanations as to what happens in the afterlife. What I loved was how the author was able to give a meaningful commentary on human life through these disjointed stories. Each story provides ample food for thought and manages to touch upon some aspect of the living through its description of death and thereafter. A short book that’s jam packed with insights which I’ll recommend to everyone. ...

A harrowing tale of the holocaust narrated from the naive viewpoint of a 9 year old. This book makes you think not about grand things and overarching themes, but about things that you took for granted your whole life. It manages to instil a certain degree of life and vividness to seemingly mundane experiences and leaves you uncomfortably squirming for answers to fortify your preconceived notions of other people and their cultures in the face of blunt questions posed by an innocent boy. ...

This was my first foray into the works of Murakami and it certainly did not disappoint. With strikingly simple words, he strings together a story of love, lust and death. Set against the backdrop of 60s Japan, the story details the tragic and somewhat adventurous youth of the narrator, Toru Wantanabe. What kept me hooked to the book was definitely the language. He has the rare ability to precisely convey a specific emotion through a carefully worded sentence. Like a trained samurai who slices his foe with carefully measured strikes, Murakami cuts into your heart with his lucidly worded dialogue. ...

Originally gave it 4 stars. Changed it to 5 after I searched for “Morgenstern” to get an idea about what’s in the original version. S. Morgenstern. Simon “S.” Morgenstern is the fictional author of The Princess Bride, and a native of the fictional country of Florin. Author William Goldman presents the novel as being an abridged version of Morgenstern’s original tale by himself. Well played, William Goldman.

The author puts into beautiful verse everything I’ve felt and failed to articulate coherently about the complex and elusive phenomenon called love. Through a lengthy exposition of his relationship, from the uncertain beginnings to it’s certain demise, the author takes us on a journey of words, wit and wisdom. The author explores in detail the complex underpinnings of love, examining every single influx of emotion at every minute stage, something that is usually relegated to the status of “happily ever after” in most novels and stories. ...