Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

A young man accompanies his cousin to the hospital to check an unusual hearing complaint and recalls a story of a woman put to sleep by tiny flies crawling inside her ear; a mirror appears out of nowhere and a night-watchman is unnerved as his reflection tries to take control of him; a couple's relationship is unbalanced after dining exclusively on exquisite crab while on holiday; a man follows instructions on the back of a postcard to apply for a job but an unknown password stands between him and his mysterious employer. In each one of these stories, Murakami sidesteps the real and sprints for the surreal. Everyday events are transcended leaving the reader dazzled by this master of the craft. "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is Murakami's most eclectic collection of stories yet, and spans five years of his writing. The author has written an introduction to explain the diversity of his choice.