“The hunting gun is a lonely thing. It is not like a sword, which can be drawn in a moment of passion. A gun must be loaded, aimed, […]
Japanese literature
Men Without Women
“No matter how far they travel, men without women are incomplete.” Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami is a collection of seven short stories exploring loneliness, love, and […]
Japanese literature
Sputnik Sweetheart
“In the spring of her twenty-second year, Sumire fell in love for the first time in her life.” Chapter 1 The narrator, K, recounts his friendship with Sumire, […]
Russian literature
White Nights
“My God! A whole moment of happiness! Is that too little for the whole of a man’s life?” Chapter 1: The Dreamer The unnamed narrator, a lonely and […]
French literature
The Waitress Was New
“I was just a waiter, but I saw everything.” Chapter 1: The Café Routine The novel opens with Pierre, an aging waiter, observing the daily rhythms of the […]