Birthday Girl by Murakami is a small quick read. I ordered it two days back with two other books because it was the most affordable Murakami work available – Rs 99, less than two dollars. So while I was expecting a thin book, it turned out to be even smaller than my expectation (42 pages).
The story is about a girl waitressing on her 20th birthday and having an odd encounter with the owner. Odd is really the word for this story, especially for those like me who haven’t read any of Murakami’s longer works. While the writing is engaging and crisp, the plot – not so much.
‘Birthday Girl’ is meant for Murakami fans & was published to celebrate his 70th birthday. So those who are not familiar with his literature might not enjoy it as much. A lot of reviewers have called it “beguiling, exquisitely satisfying”. But I was just like “eh?” at the end of the story & wanted more.
