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迴轉木馬的終端
她試著打電話給認識的隨便什麼人，其中有幾位跟她閒談或替她出主意，不過他們也都工作很忙，總不能老是一直陪她聊。「再過兩、三天現在的工作就可以告一段落，到時候再去喝一杯如何。」說完他們就把電話掛了。然而兩、三天後並沒有打電話來邀她。一定是剛告一個段落，又立刻投入另一件工作去了。她自己這六年來也一直重複過著這樣的日子，因此非常了解這樣的情況。所以自己也不願主動打電話去打攪別人。
天黑之後待在家裡很難過，因此她每天入夜之後，便穿上剛買的新衣服外出，到六本木或青山一帶的雅致酒吧，一個人慢慢啜著雞尾酒，直到最後一班電車的時刻來臨。如果運氣好的話，遇到從前認識的朋友，可以談談天消磨時間。運氣不好的話（雖然這種時候是壓倒性的多數），誰也碰不到。運氣再壞的話，在回家的末班電車上，裙子被陌生男人的精液沾上，或計程車司機上來搭訕。在一千一百萬人口的擁擠都會中，她感覺自己似乎孤獨得難以忍受。
天黑之後待在家裡很難過，因此她每天入夜之後，便穿上剛買的新衣服外出，到六本木或青山一帶的雅致酒吧，一個人慢慢啜著雞尾酒，直到最後一班電車的時刻來臨。如果運氣好的話，遇到從前認識的朋友，可以談談天消磨時間。運氣不好的話（雖然這種時候是壓倒性的多數），誰也碰不到。運氣再壞的話，在回家的末班電車上，裙子被陌生男人的精液沾上，或計程車司機上來搭訕。在一千一百萬人口的擁擠都會中，她感覺自己似乎孤獨得難以忍受。
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Haruki Murakami
696 books138k followersHaruki Murakami (村上春樹) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Tanizaki Prize, Yomiuri Prize for Literature, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Noma Literary Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Awards.
Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after working as the owner of a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy and Dag Solstad as his favourite currently active writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long distance runner.
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.
Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after working as the owner of a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy and Dag Solstad as his favourite currently active writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long distance runner.
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 15, 2026
Coming off Murakami’s TV People (which might be one of my most favorite short story collections of all time), I had high hopes. But… "Carousel's Dead Heat" is a weird book. It might as well be titled: "A Memoir by Friends and Acquaintances of Murakami”. Most of the time it’s Murakami himself who’s narrating. It's a cool concept overall, and I did enjoy several of the stories in it. Some stories however, are so similar to each other, in both plot, settings, characters and motifs, that I have trouble distinguishing and remembering what they were about. And, most of the stories revolve around the topic of sex (also sometimes it's Murakami himself who's involved). I'm guessing by the time he wrote this book he hadn't yet blown up internationally (yes pun intended).
The stories in this book were actually included with my Vietnamese edition of TV People - but, trying to respect the original order, and because the stories in the 2 books are so much different, I decided to separate these stories into a different review. While TV People is full of experimental, commentary, even horror stuff; this book is full of sex. To add fuel to the flame, 6 pages in my physical book are blank - not intentionally blank, but blank because the supposed content is missing from the papers - how the publisher didn’t notice this is mind-boggling to me. Were all other copies of this edition like this? As a result, I had to go to the internet to read these 6 missing pages - ironically, after going through the hassle to obtain them, I found they didn’t add much to the mediocre stories either.
Lederhosen: 3/5
The man in the Taxi: 2.5/5
Poolside: 2.75/5
For the Now-Deceased Princess: 2.5/5
Nausea 1979: 3.75/5
Taking Shelter from the Rain: 3.75/5
Baseball Field: 3.75/5
Hunting Knife: 2/5
Final score: 3⭐
Reading difficulty: Mild
Format: Vietnamese translation, part of TV People, Paperback, NXB Đà Nẵng
Translation quality: Great
The stories in this book were actually included with my Vietnamese edition of TV People - but, trying to respect the original order, and because the stories in the 2 books are so much different, I decided to separate these stories into a different review. While TV People is full of experimental, commentary, even horror stuff; this book is full of sex. To add fuel to the flame, 6 pages in my physical book are blank - not intentionally blank, but blank because the supposed content is missing from the papers - how the publisher didn’t notice this is mind-boggling to me. Were all other copies of this edition like this? As a result, I had to go to the internet to read these 6 missing pages - ironically, after going through the hassle to obtain them, I found they didn’t add much to the mediocre stories either.
Lederhosen: 3/5
The man in the Taxi: 2.5/5
Poolside: 2.75/5
For the Now-Deceased Princess: 2.5/5
Nausea 1979: 3.75/5
Taking Shelter from the Rain: 3.75/5
Baseball Field: 3.75/5
Hunting Knife: 2/5
Final score: 3⭐
Reading difficulty: Mild
Format: Vietnamese translation, part of TV People, Paperback, NXB Đà Nẵng
Translation quality: Great
April 7, 2018
Муракамі має якусь загадкову рису у письменстві, що затягує читача в історію, хоча нічого особливого по суті не відбувається. Також його манера оповіді, чутлива до деталей, заколихує спокоєм, ностальгією. Ця збірка ок для одноразового прослуховування. (Чомусь розповіді без відверто неприємних чоловіків, нормалізованої зради, підглядання у вікна, сподобались набагато більше. Хм. Чому б це.)
October 1, 2021
Сповнені спокою та затишку історії, які захоплюють і залишають тільки приємні відчуття по собі.
February 28, 2024
A series of stories featuring a notable amount of divorces, barfing, and sweaty people changing into clean clothes.
Seriously though, it is such a Japanese move: documenting real stories told to Murakami by real people. Like the Japanese haiku or like many of my favourite Japanese movies, these are small slices of life, the moments captured, observed; something to reflect on without the pressure of the author’s morals and ideas.
Obviously, these are no random tales; Murakami did choose those specific eight stories because he “felt they had to be told”. Yet he manages to present them in a near documentary-like fashion and without any judgement. Which is just the way I like it.
Seriously though, it is such a Japanese move: documenting real stories told to Murakami by real people. Like the Japanese haiku or like many of my favourite Japanese movies, these are small slices of life, the moments captured, observed; something to reflect on without the pressure of the author’s morals and ideas.
Obviously, these are no random tales; Murakami did choose those specific eight stories because he “felt they had to be told”. Yet he manages to present them in a near documentary-like fashion and without any judgement. Which is just the way I like it.
January 17, 2021
O colecție de povestiri semnate de Murakami (nu am găsit volumul tradus în engleză sau română, presupun că e o colecție apărută doar în Rusia). Unele mai interesante, altele mai puțin, toate fiind marcate de stilul inconfundabil murakamian.
May 4, 2023
короткие легкие расказики
February 8, 2018
Люблю слухати оповідання Муракамі в аудіо-форматі. Люблю Муракамі, що ж :)
April 27, 2022
Данный сборник рассказов ни на что не претендует.
По сути, это даже не худ. произведения, как признает сам автор. Что-то между описанием реальных событий и рассказами. Всего лишь истории, которым необходимо было стать рассказанными. Зарисовки.
Что ж, г-н Мураками, поведай мне, я готова слушать.
Как и все книги автора, этот сборник - прежде всего про атмосферу. И если вы любите спокойного, тонкого Мураками, то наверняка оцените его. Нет лишнего символизма, параллельных вселенных. Простые очерки, в которых основа - это мимолетное чувство. Главное словить.
Словила, пришлось под настроение, получила удовольствие. Особенно, как и многие, от "Мужчины в такси".
Как итог: если любите стиль Мураками, не разочаруетесь. Если это первое знакомство с автором, стоит выбрать другое произведение/сборник. Лично для меня "Ничья на карусели" вышла хуже "Токийских рассказов", но лучше "Радио Мураками". Как-то так.
По сути, это даже не худ. произведения, как признает сам автор. Что-то между описанием реальных событий и рассказами. Всего лишь истории, которым необходимо было стать рассказанными. Зарисовки.
Что ж, г-н Мураками, поведай мне, я готова слушать.
Как и все книги автора, этот сборник - прежде всего про атмосферу. И если вы любите спокойного, тонкого Мураками, то наверняка оцените его. Нет лишнего символизма, параллельных вселенных. Простые очерки, в которых основа - это мимолетное чувство. Главное словить.
Словила, пришлось под настроение, получила удовольствие. Особенно, как и многие, от "Мужчины в такси".
Как итог: если любите стиль Мураками, не разочаруетесь. Если это первое знакомство с автором, стоит выбрать другое произведение/сборник. Лично для меня "Ничья на карусели" вышла хуже "Токийских рассказов", но лучше "Радио Мураками". Как-то так.
June 1, 2023
The collection of Murakami's short stories is truly amazing, not only in its content but also in its unique presentation. Each story is introduced as a result of the author's conversation with the main character, creating a compelling and realistic framework for the entire opus. What makes this collection even more captivating is the wide range of themes explored, from obsessions and divorce to small pleasures and strange fears.
However, the most enthralling aspect, in my opinion, is Murakami's narrative on how he, as a writer, listens to people. He seemingly just reports what he has heard, but in doing so, he transforms these tales into genuine literature. It is truly fascinating to witness how he captures the essence of these stories and turns them into works of art.
Overall, this collection not only showcases the diversity of Murakami's storytelling, but it also highlights his ability to create profound literature from the ordinary experiences of everyday individuals.
However, the most enthralling aspect, in my opinion, is Murakami's narrative on how he, as a writer, listens to people. He seemingly just reports what he has heard, but in doing so, he transforms these tales into genuine literature. It is truly fascinating to witness how he captures the essence of these stories and turns them into works of art.
Overall, this collection not only showcases the diversity of Murakami's storytelling, but it also highlights his ability to create profound literature from the ordinary experiences of everyday individuals.
November 20, 2021
「旋轉木馬只在固定場所，以固定的速度巡迴轉動。
什麼地方也去不了，既下不來，也不能轉車。
既不能超越別人，也不會被別人超越。
雖然如此，我們依然在這樣的迴轉木馬上，
看起來彷彿朝著假想的敵人，拼命往終端展開猛烈的衝刺似的。」
------
「只要此在作為其所是東西而存在，它就總處在拋擲狀態中而且被捲入常人的非本真狀態的漩渦中。」
在《存在與時間》中，海德格提出被拋擲(Geworfenheit)的境況屬於生存著的此在，此在自出生，就不能避免地被拋擲在世界之中。「海德格爾認為，我們對於自身的存在幾乎是無能為力。」[2]，此在不能選擇自身客觀的存在條件，如出生時代、地點、性別，以及偶然發生在此在在世之中的事件，如自然災難、因緣際遇、政治變遷。不僅如此，海德格的存在論指出此在的基本存在建構:在世界之中存在、沉淪在「常人」漩渦中、在存在中生畏，感到茫然失所、不在家的存在狀態，只要此在存在，便不能避免地受制於此在的基本建構。
------
然而，我們是在毫無選擇的狀況下被拋擲到這個世界上的嗎? 這個質疑是奠基於「不相信萬能神」的基礎上，然而，質疑卻無法做為「神不存在」的證明。
------
德國哲學家海德格，在其著作在《存在與時間》中提出了關於我們「存在」於這個世界上的的觀點，意即「我們自出生便是被拋擲在這個世界中，而我們對於自身的存在幾乎是無能為力的」，我們不能選擇客觀的存在條件，如出生時代、地點、性別，以及偶然發生的事件，如自然災難、因緣際遇、政治變遷。
「在那之前他是無，只不過是一個沒有名字的、未明的一團混沌而已。在黑暗中勉強呼吸，大聲哭泣，一個不足三公斤的粉紅色肉塊。首先被賦予名字。然後才產生意識和記憶，接下來才形成自我。名字是一切的出發點。」-村上春樹《沒有色彩的多崎作與他的巡禮之年》
什麼地方也去不了，既下不來，也不能轉車。
既不能超越別人，也不會被別人超越。
雖然如此，我們依然在這樣的迴轉木馬上，
看起來彷彿朝著假想的敵人，拼命往終端展開猛烈的衝刺似的。」
------
「只要此在作為其所是東西而存在，它就總處在拋擲狀態中而且被捲入常人的非本真狀態的漩渦中。」
在《存在與時間》中，海德格提出被拋擲(Geworfenheit)的境況屬於生存著的此在，此在自出生，就不能避免地被拋擲在世界之中。「海德格爾認為，我們對於自身的存在幾乎是無能為力。」[2]，此在不能選擇自身客觀的存在條件，如出生時代、地點、性別，以及偶然發生在此在在世之中的事件，如自然災難、因緣際遇、政治變遷。不僅如此，海德格的存在論指出此在的基本存在建構:在世界之中存在、沉淪在「常人」漩渦中、在存在中生畏，感到茫然失所、不在家的存在狀態，只要此在存在，便不能避免地受制於此在的基本建構。
------
然而，我們是在毫無選擇的狀況下被拋擲到這個世界上的嗎? 這個質疑是奠基於「不相信萬能神」的基礎上，然而，質疑卻無法做為「神不存在」的證明。
------
德國哲學家海德格，在其著作在《存在與時間》中提出了關於我們「存在」於這個世界上的的觀點，意即「我們自出生便是被拋擲在這個世界中，而我們對於自身的存在幾乎是無能為力的」，我們不能選擇客觀的存在條件，如出生時代、地點、性別，以及偶然發生的事件，如自然災難、因緣際遇、政治變遷。
「在那之前他是無，只不過是一個沒有名字的、未明的一團混沌而已。在黑暗中勉強呼吸，大聲哭泣，一個不足三公斤的粉紅色肉塊。首先被賦予名字。然後才產生意識和記憶，接下來才形成自我。名字是一切的出發點。」-村上春樹《沒有色彩的多崎作與他的巡禮之年》
April 24, 2026
Definitely didn't enjoy this as much as I usually do for Murakami...I suspect, I don't really vibe with his short story collections in general, and I felt this one was particularly all over the place, with many people who failed to interest me, let alone feel sympathy for. Murakami himself admits these are more "sketches" or "exercises" based on real-life experience/people he's met, which might be why they feel more disjointed.
You can pass this one unless you're a die-hard Harukist.
You can pass this one unless you're a die-hard Harukist.
February 20, 2024
Очень аутентичные зарисовки,которые заставляют задуматься и как всегда после книг Мураками-пересмотреть некоторые взгляды на жизнь. Сравнение жизни с заплывом в бассейне,где 30 лет-это середина дистанции,потеря чувств и развод из-за шорт,абсолютное разложение личности при сталкинге за девушкой,поселившись в доме напротив? Истории как на подбор,не уступающие одна другой
September 8, 2020
Мне нравится, что Мураками практически всегда помогает подсмотреть на чужую жизнь. Всем интересно, как живут другие, хотя их жизнь не всегда фонтан и фейерверки. Но их обыкновенная жизнь тоже может быть изложена очень интересно. И эффект " приближения"(с) очень помогает.
October 2, 2019
20歳の頃から風邪を引く度に気に入った分だけを読み続けて30年以上。古い友達って感じだね。
December 15, 2020
оценка книге так же, и не плохо и не хорошо, ничья
December 22, 2020
Неожиданно понравилось это из Мураками. Очень четко очерченные и завершенные рассказы для этого писателя.
August 6, 2021
心を落ち着かせる、人生を遠目にみる目的でこの本は重宝するとおもう。タイトルひとつひとつ興味深くて、ストーリーひとつひとつ味わい深い。日本語だからできるこの感じ。日本語が母語でよかったと初めておもう。さすが村上春樹！💕
July 26, 2022
Класичний Муракамі: легкий, а в той же час глибокий. Щось містичне, тільки контур, але цього досить, щоб продовжувати заворожено дивиться в книги, та чекати. Гарна збірка історій.
March 27, 2023
As usual, some boring, some brilliant.
Did Not Finish
June 21, 2025DNF
July 31, 2026
Не понравилась только история про "Ледерхозен". Остальные понравились, просто погрузилась в мир Мураками :)
August 13, 2022
Сборник текстов, зарисовок, очерков ни о чем. Точнее о чем-то важном, но важном по меркам Мураками - какие-то ситуации, эмоции, воспоминания. Почитать все это как замочить мизинчик в той реке, в которую раньше погружался с головой, читая Норвежский лес или Страну Чудес. Грусть, зрелость, прохлада.
January 31, 2024
Приятная книга, очень легко читается. Давно не читал рассказы, но на удивление удобно читать 1 рассказ на ночь и каждый день получать новые эмоции перед сном.
May 12, 2021
Despite being very straightforwardly presented as true stories, in 1991 Murakami confirmed they are all fiction. Also said that without experience of creating these "realistic" tales he might have never written "Norwegian Wood".
November 11, 2012
I visited my friends in Chicago two weekends ago and there I ran into this book, borrowed from a library. When I returned home, I wanted to finish it, but I did not find an English translation - I read it in Russian.
Haruki Mirakami created short stories he gathered from different peoples' life experiences and put them into "Dead Heat on The Carousel". One of them "A Man In A Taxi" I did like a lot!
I had an impression that the author was saying:" Hey, guys! Do you want to look at yourselves? Then do it!"
If one would ask me if I recommend this book, I'd say "Yes".
Janna with www.loveisneverpasttense.com
Haruki Mirakami created short stories he gathered from different peoples' life experiences and put them into "Dead Heat on The Carousel". One of them "A Man In A Taxi" I did like a lot!
I had an impression that the author was saying:" Hey, guys! Do you want to look at yourselves? Then do it!"
If one would ask me if I recommend this book, I'd say "Yes".
Janna with www.loveisneverpasttense.com
August 29, 2025
This is not the first short stories book from Murakami that I am reading, but it’s definitely the most awkwardly sexualised one. Among 8 stories, at least 5-6 of them have so much potential in the beginning but everything ends as an interpretation of a sexual fantasy, which is completely out of place in the presented plots. I’d rather recommend “Birthday stories” or “First person singular” instead of this.
April 14, 2009
レーモンド・カーヴァーのスゴサが分かる本。
September 9, 2012
久々の村上春樹。
人間って摩訶不思議。と思わずにはいられない。
人間って摩訶不思議。と思わずにはいられない。
December 30, 2021
耐人寻味，一定要重读 现在我的水平还不能好好的理解她 旋转木马，孤独，徒劳，鏖战，意义，脱离，原地踏步
April 13, 2022
读的最顺畅的村上的短篇
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