The Second Bakery Attack by Haruki Murakami

Nothing quite like freshly baked bread.

Card Drawn: Jack of Spades

I have struggled to finish any of Haruki Murakami's novels and much prefer his short-stories. His unique brand of magical realism is so refreshing and just works for me. I admire his succinct and smooth prose that flows beautifully. The Second Bakery Attack might not be as weird as some of the other stories that I have encountered by this author although there is plenty of surrealism found here too. As to be expected from Murakami, the premise is absurd and darkly humorous--yet, never weird for weirds sake. A newly married couple wake up in the middle of the night suffering from intense pangs of hunger, only to find the refrigerator empty and no food in the apartment other than condiments and warm beer. Having experienced this overwhelming hunger once before when he was poor, the narrator recounts his shameful past when he robbed a bakery with his friend that unfolded in a very strange way, to say the least. The wife believes that his life has been cursed since that fateful day and proposes an outlandish plan to break the curse once and for all. 

What follows is a dizzying adventure through late-night Tokyo filled with bright lights, fast-food joints, ski-masks and shot-guns. Murakami is interested in exploring inner spaces; the destabilization of a character's subjectivity. While this story is lighthearted, fun and even suspenseful, a quiet sadness permeates throughout the story. There is a metaphysical emptiness as the narrator attempts to reconcile his past and make sense of an irrational world. Amongst all the wackiness, the metaphors and imagery conjured here is beautiful and quite moving.

You can read this story HERE.