#232 The Kidney-Shaped Stone that Moves Everyday- Haruki
Murakami
Junpei is a short-story writer, very apt for this blog. His
father once told him that in life, a man only holds true meaning for three
woman, no more, no less. So Junpei goes through life careful of giving himself
to the wrong woman, too careful. We see him with a potential woman who is
mysterious and luring, and acts as his muse getting him past a bit of writers
block. Her name, Kirie, means Light in Latin, as she shines light on Junpei’s
story.
The story he writes is about a Kidney-Shaped Stone with
anthropomorphic qualities. As you would expect, the stone symbolized something
damaging that grows inside us, something we create ourselves that weighs us
down until we are able to remove it from within.
Wind is a big theme in this story, the un-attainable nature
of it, the personal way it effects us but the supernatural way it is beyond us.
“No one could come between her and the wind, he realized,
and he felt a violent rush of jealousy. But jealousy for what? The wind? Who
could possibly be jealous of the wind?”
Murakami often gives power to the natural world, we saw it
with the kidney stone itself, but he also hides deep spiritual meaning in the
earth and its qualities.
“The wind envelopes you with a certain purpose in mind, and
it rocks you. The wind knows everything that’s inside you. And it’s not just
the wind. Everything, including a stone. They all know us very well. From top
to bottom. It only occurs to us at certain times. And all we can do is go with
those things. As we take them in, we survive, and deepen.”
As with many of his short stories, this one feels like it
could have been taken from, or turned into a larger story. Unlike Junpei who
loses steam the longer his tales go, Murakami is at his best when he lets loose
with strong material such as this. I would like to see more of Junpei, and his
three meaningful woman. Thus this story, was great up until it ended, where it
left me wanting more.
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