"First published in Japan in 2003 and never before published in the United States, Dead-End Memories collects the stories of five women who, following sudden and painful events, quietly discover their ways back to recovery. Among the women we meet in Dead-End Memories is one betrayed by her fiancé who finds a perfect refuge in an apartment above her uncle's bar while seeking the real meaning of happiness. In "House of Ghosts," the daughter of a yoshoku...

"Following the best-selling triumph of Kafka on the Shore-"daringly original," wrote Steven Moore in The Washington Post Book World, "and compulsively readable"--Comes a collection that generously expresses Murakami's mastery. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit his ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and relentlessly entertaining"--P. [2] of cover.

This fantastically varied and exciting collection celebrates the great Japanese short story, from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable works being written today. Short story writers already well-known to English-language readers are all included here - Tanizaki, Akutagawa, Murakami, Mishima, Kawabata - but also many surprising new finds. From Yuko Tsushima's 'Flames' to Yuten Sawanishi's 'Filling Up with Sugar', from Shin'ichi...

Inside and other short fiction showcases the very best of recent writing by Japanese women writers today-including prize-winning novelists and authors never before published in English-as they explore the issue of female identity in a rapidly changing society. Amy Yamada ("Fiesta"), widely published overseas and with many fans among Western readers, offers us a sophisticated psychological portrait of a sexually repressed woman. Tamaki Daido ("Milk"),...

In Chinese.

Everything here seems to have one thing in common, that they all "want to be spoken." Haruki Murakami! "The so-called death is a very special event. I often think that a large part of a person's life is the energy or the sense of loss brought about by the death of others, or something like that. But she's so defenseless about these things, that's it." Artfully selected between fact and fiction, Haruki Murakami's eight sketches. It's a lot like a carousel....

The world of The Ancient Magus' Bride is bigger than Elias and Chise, and many are the folk and spirits who cross their lives path. Their tales twist together in a tapestry, words like golden yarn, a weaving of memories and secrets. Contained within these pages are new stories of Kore Yamazaki's fantastic Britain, penned by the author herself and a star-studded lineup of Japanese authors. From a Celtic vampire in love with a human, to a gemstone knight,...