Murakami excels at crafting surreal narratives that plausibly come to life with emotional authenticity. In this collection of short stories the surreal stimulus that acts as the unifying theme for the collection is the aftermath of the actual 1995 Kobe earthquake. The violent tremors of this natural disaster leaves very tangible damage that feels anything but natural.

Like any short story collection, there is variation in terms of quality. My favorite was easily "honey pie." It was uncharacteristically hopeful (for Murakami) and was a heart-warming conclusion to a series that dwells on unexpected devastation of both material and existential proportions.

Admittedly, I have read over a dozen Murakami books at this point, so I grade this one in comparison to his other (better) works. However, even an average Murakami book is better than some author's best efforts, so if the topic appeals to you pick up a copy of "after the quake" and decide for yourself.