First Person Singular by Murakami

BATB score: 2/10 🙈

It’s like Murakami is trying to cash out the very last few squeezes of his writing career. And what does this book title even mean?!?

Best as: a buy-bait for Murakami readers; a collection piece and evidence for you to rightfully claim that you have read most of Murakami’s works; 2020s Murakami work that demonstrates how he no longer is the hyped author

Best to: okay one thing that is interesting is I never thought that Murakami would be able to write short stories considering his thick-pages on other early works

Best for: you can over-think this book and try to figure out why this Murakami mastermind would be writing this OR you can also take it at face value which is “WTF” Murakami has finally lost his literary powers - this book does nothing for you

BATB lingering thought: you know how you try to remain relevant when 100% you have exceeded your time and have become obsolete? so when do you voluntarily step down and give up your legacy?

Best quotes: “It’s true that life brings us far more defeats than victories. And real-life wisdom arises not so much from knowing how we might beat someone as from learning how to accept defeat with grace.”

“Loving someone is like having a mental illness that's not covered by health insurance.”