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Birthday Girl
Japon, de nos jours.
Quoi qu’on puisse souhaiter, aussi loin que l’on puisse aller, on reste ce qu’on est, voilà tout.
La serveuse n’aurait même pas dû travailler ce soir-là. C’était son anniversaire, elle avait vingt ans, il pleuvait à verse, le directeur du restaurant était malade. Alors c’est elle, cette serveuse qui entrait dans ses vingt ans, qui était allée porter son repas au propriétaire du restaurant. Un vieil homme solitaire que personne n’a jamais vu. Un vieil homme qui, le jour de ses vingt ans, lui avait proposé de faire un vœu…
Quoi qu’on puisse souhaiter, aussi loin que l’on puisse aller, on reste ce qu’on est, voilà tout.
La serveuse n’aurait même pas dû travailler ce soir-là. C’était son anniversaire, elle avait vingt ans, il pleuvait à verse, le directeur du restaurant était malade. Alors c’est elle, cette serveuse qui entrait dans ses vingt ans, qui était allée porter son repas au propriétaire du restaurant. Un vieil homme solitaire que personne n’a jamais vu. Un vieil homme qui, le jour de ses vingt ans, lui avait proposé de faire un vœu…
64 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 2002
269 people are currently reading
9268 people want to read
About the author
Haruki Murakami
605 books133k 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 2,327 reviews
January 27, 2019
After reading the literary disaster known as Killing Commendatore late last year and the very tepid Men Without Women the year before, I was just about ready to give up on Murakami.
However, this short story reminded me exactly why I love the author. What makes Murakami so great is what he doesn’t say; it’s the subtle suggestions and doubt spread across character encounters that gives his writing such depth. I always question everything when I read his words. Does that mean more? Is there some hidden point behind what is happening? There are always hints at the supernatural, but they are very rarely confirmed.
With his unique take on magical realism, Murakami shows us that something fantastical could be happening in the very mundane reality of life. And that's kind of special. His stories are about real people who encounter some (possibly) extraordinary things. Birthday Girl, though very concise and short, lingered on my mind for days. I’m still questioning it right now. It could have been nothing spectacular, and it could also have been something grand and magical. It depends how you view the world.
Birthday Girl has a basic plot but it really lingers. A woman on her twentieth birthday is asked to deliver her boss’ meal to his rooms in the restaurant where she is a waitress. Seems ordinary, but after an odd conversation the man offers to grant her a wish, any wish, as her birthday present. We are never told what the wish is or if it has been granted, though the woman’s life did change afterwards. I don’t know if it’s a result of the wish or by the random places life can take us. Murakami leaves us in the dark.
So, it’s an interesting story, and one that made me realise that Murakami still has much to offer me. I need to read another one of his novels soon.
However, this short story reminded me exactly why I love the author. What makes Murakami so great is what he doesn’t say; it’s the subtle suggestions and doubt spread across character encounters that gives his writing such depth. I always question everything when I read his words. Does that mean more? Is there some hidden point behind what is happening? There are always hints at the supernatural, but they are very rarely confirmed.
With his unique take on magical realism, Murakami shows us that something fantastical could be happening in the very mundane reality of life. And that's kind of special. His stories are about real people who encounter some (possibly) extraordinary things. Birthday Girl, though very concise and short, lingered on my mind for days. I’m still questioning it right now. It could have been nothing spectacular, and it could also have been something grand and magical. It depends how you view the world.
Birthday Girl has a basic plot but it really lingers. A woman on her twentieth birthday is asked to deliver her boss’ meal to his rooms in the restaurant where she is a waitress. Seems ordinary, but after an odd conversation the man offers to grant her a wish, any wish, as her birthday present. We are never told what the wish is or if it has been granted, though the woman’s life did change afterwards. I don’t know if it’s a result of the wish or by the random places life can take us. Murakami leaves us in the dark.
So, it’s an interesting story, and one that made me realise that Murakami still has much to offer me. I need to read another one of his novels soon.
June 23, 2019
Weird little story but strangely satisfying, although it is totally unclear what is going on exactly ;-)
A small start of the Murakami oeuvre for me, which I have planned to read. The rest is substantially more voluminous in pages. I liked this story! It's about a waitress in an Italian restaurant in Japan who turns 20 but has to work. Unexpectedly the floor manager turns ill and she has to take over his job, bring up a tray of food to the owner of the restaurant, living in one of the upper floors above the restaurant. And what happens then.... Strange atmosphere, absurd even. Liked this story!
A small start of the Murakami oeuvre for me, which I have planned to read. The rest is substantially more voluminous in pages. I liked this story! It's about a waitress in an Italian restaurant in Japan who turns 20 but has to work. Unexpectedly the floor manager turns ill and she has to take over his job, bring up a tray of food to the owner of the restaurant, living in one of the upper floors above the restaurant. And what happens then.... Strange atmosphere, absurd even. Liked this story!
April 18, 2022
To celebrate Murakami's 70th birthday Penguin re-published this short story, and what a great choice it was, as it is a typically minimalist tale littered with nuances and multiple interpretations for the reader to enjoy. A lovely read, pure Murakami. Surely Murakami is one of the few writers that you don't mind finding out the book you ordered is 40 pages, large print and not even a new story? 9 out of 12!
2019 read
2019 read
December 9, 2025
هذه القصة أيضا من مجموعة حدائق موراكامي - الجزء الثاني القصة ذكرتني بنكتة بايخه قديمة كنا نقولها لبعضنا صغارا عن سيدة دخلت مطعما فجاءها النادل قائلا:
تطلبي ايه يا افندم؟ أكل و الا مشروب.
قالت: استنى لما اسأل الباكالولو ثم فتحت حقيبتها و تمتمت بعدة كلمات و انتظرت قليلا و قالت له أريد طعام.
فقال: عندنا أطباق النهاردة من المطبخ الفرنسي و من المطبخ المكسيكي تحبي تجربي ايه فيهم.
استنى لما اسأل الباكالولو ثم تكرر فتح الحقيبة و التمتمة و الانتظار ثم اختارت المكسيكي. و راحت أسئلة النادل تتوالى عن طبق الحلى ثم المشروب ثم ماذا تريد أن تفعل ببقايا الطعام و عن طريقة الحساب نقدا أم عن طريقة بطاقة الإئتمان و في كل مرة تسأل الباكالولو المزعوم قبل أن ترد عليه.
طبعا كنا نطيل في النكتة و في التفاصيل بتكرار مستفذ يجعل المستمع يتحرق شوقا لمعرفة ماهية الباكالولو قبل أن تأتي اللحظة الحاسمة في نهاية النكتة التي سالت فيها السيدة عن الطريق إلى الحمام و تركت حقيبتها على الطاولة فاندفع النادل بجنون و أسرع بفتح الحقيبة قبل أن تأتي صاحبتها و مد يده داخلها و أمسك بشيء ما فأخرجه بلهفة ليجد أمامه وجها لوجه: الباكالولو.
أيوه و بعدين؟
لا خلاص كده.
خلاص ايه يا عم انت هتشلنا و الا ايه!
و الله العظيم خلاص كده النكتة خلصت.
أيوه ايه هو الباكالولو ده؟
معرفش بس غالبا الجارسون دلوقتي عارف.
هكذا فعل بنا هاروكي في هذه القصة فقد دارت كلها حول أمنية الفتاة و حامت حول كل الظروف التي أدت إليها ثم أخبرنا في النهاية أن النادل أخرج الباكالولو من حقيبة السيدة.
January 1, 2023
I don't actually recall ordering this book, but when I did I’m sure I must have thought it was a new ‘full sized’ Murakami. Instead, this tiny package was dropped through my letterbox containing a book no larger than the palm of my hand and featuring 40 pages of large print, each page containing no more than 100 words – a single short story. And then, after the first line or two I already knew that this was a story I’d read before.
But is it a good story? The good news is that it’s a very good story indeed. Like most of Murakami's shorts it’s a tale to make the reader think. Very little really happens and I'm not giving much away – the beauty is in the flow of words put down by the writer – to say that it's about a young waitress who gets to make a single wish on her twentieth birthday.
So what wish would you make if you were told whatever you wished for would come true? We don't get to find out what the waitress asked for but we do get some clues towards the end as we meet up with her again some years later. What would most enrich your life: money, looks, brains? And would you think differently at twenty than you would at forty or at sixty?
Yes, an intriguing short read and one I'm so glad to have been prompted to re-read.
But is it a good story? The good news is that it’s a very good story indeed. Like most of Murakami's shorts it’s a tale to make the reader think. Very little really happens and I'm not giving much away – the beauty is in the flow of words put down by the writer – to say that it's about a young waitress who gets to make a single wish on her twentieth birthday.
So what wish would you make if you were told whatever you wished for would come true? We don't get to find out what the waitress asked for but we do get some clues towards the end as we meet up with her again some years later. What would most enrich your life: money, looks, brains? And would you think differently at twenty than you would at forty or at sixty?
Yes, an intriguing short read and one I'm so glad to have been prompted to re-read.
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February 9, 2025
|| 3.0 stars ||
Honestly, I found this to be quite an unsatisfying read due to the complete lack of closure or understanding that is reached within the story. It simply sets up the premise of an interesting idea, but then fails to actually do anything with it.
That said, I did feel intrigued and even entertained while reading this (albeit not to any great extent), so I can’t complain too much, but I just don’t like that it didn’t lead to anything. It purposefully stays vague and open-ended, which didn’t quite do it for me.
I understand that this is exactly what the author wanted to achieve, and although I do love to have a lot of questions while reading a story, I personally prefer to have at least gotten answers to some of them at the end of it. It just kind of feels like a non-story now. A beginning with no end. A thought with no conclusion.
The thing that still makes this story work well as a whole, though, is the fact that the way it is written feels a lot more interesting than the story actually is. Its tense and gloomy atmosphere gives all of this quite an important air to it, like you’re reading something meaningful or insightful. Thus, even though the story really doesn’t say much of anything, the writing makes it so that you feel like you did read something of note.
Honestly, I found this to be quite an unsatisfying read due to the complete lack of closure or understanding that is reached within the story. It simply sets up the premise of an interesting idea, but then fails to actually do anything with it.
That said, I did feel intrigued and even entertained while reading this (albeit not to any great extent), so I can’t complain too much, but I just don’t like that it didn’t lead to anything. It purposefully stays vague and open-ended, which didn’t quite do it for me.
I understand that this is exactly what the author wanted to achieve, and although I do love to have a lot of questions while reading a story, I personally prefer to have at least gotten answers to some of them at the end of it. It just kind of feels like a non-story now. A beginning with no end. A thought with no conclusion.
The thing that still makes this story work well as a whole, though, is the fact that the way it is written feels a lot more interesting than the story actually is. Its tense and gloomy atmosphere gives all of this quite an important air to it, like you’re reading something meaningful or insightful. Thus, even though the story really doesn’t say much of anything, the writing makes it so that you feel like you did read something of note.
May 1, 2020
"No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all."
One rainy Tokyo night, a waitress’s uneventful twentieth birthday takes a strange and fateful turn when she’s asked to deliver dinner to the restaurant’s owner. She is asked to make a wish and it will come true.
What makes Murakami so great is what he doesn’t say; it’s the subtle suggestions and doubt spread across the story that gives his writing such depth. I always question everything when I read his words. Does that mean more? The magical realism in his books hints towards the supernatural but it is rarely the case. Mostly they are used as metaphors to add depth to a very simple story.
A common trait in all Murakami books is that you'll be left with more questions than answers. There is so much to be interpreted in the story. What was the girl's wish? Did it come true? Who is the narrator? Who was the owner of the hotel? Did he actually possess power to make a wish come true? This tiny story is open to so much interpretations that it blows my mind.
Overall a fascinating story, one that you'll read in a matter of minutes but will linger for a long time.
One rainy Tokyo night, a waitress’s uneventful twentieth birthday takes a strange and fateful turn when she’s asked to deliver dinner to the restaurant’s owner. She is asked to make a wish and it will come true.
What makes Murakami so great is what he doesn’t say; it’s the subtle suggestions and doubt spread across the story that gives his writing such depth. I always question everything when I read his words. Does that mean more? The magical realism in his books hints towards the supernatural but it is rarely the case. Mostly they are used as metaphors to add depth to a very simple story.
A common trait in all Murakami books is that you'll be left with more questions than answers. There is so much to be interpreted in the story. What was the girl's wish? Did it come true? Who is the narrator? Who was the owner of the hotel? Did he actually possess power to make a wish come true? This tiny story is open to so much interpretations that it blows my mind.
Overall a fascinating story, one that you'll read in a matter of minutes but will linger for a long time.
April 11, 2021
I still don't know why this is published as a book. Seriously. And it was like it wasn't written by Murakami.
I know Murakami's books sometimes (I mean all the time!) do not make sense like A For A or 1 for 1 but this short story (again I repeat should not have been published as a book. It's like some book betrayal like the complete opposite of finding 3 books in 1 as in 1Q84!) talks about nothing much at all.
Even if his 600 paged books talk about nothing much but with his genuine, amazing writing style I am all for it. But this one has completely topped the not-making-sense of not-at-all-making-sense.
Well. Bitter me. Be happy Murakami is still writing books. Yes, let's rest the case here.
(Book betrayal. Murakami, undo this!)
I know Murakami's books sometimes (I mean all the time!) do not make sense like A For A or 1 for 1 but this short story (again I repeat should not have been published as a book. It's like some book betrayal like the complete opposite of finding 3 books in 1 as in 1Q84!) talks about nothing much at all.
Even if his 600 paged books talk about nothing much but with his genuine, amazing writing style I am all for it. But this one has completely topped the not-making-sense of not-at-all-making-sense.
Well. Bitter me. Be happy Murakami is still writing books. Yes, let's rest the case here.
(Book betrayal. Murakami, undo this!)
February 20, 2023
I read this very short Murakami story in a magazine some years ago and found it as an ebook from my local library, short enough for a reread. Vintage Murakami, a bit of magic, life lesson and mystery. Good stuff.
'There was something cold and hard about her: if you set her afloat on the night-time sea, she would probably sink any boat that happened to ram her.' Description of a fellow restaurant worker.
'There was something cold and hard about her: if you set her afloat on the night-time sea, she would probably sink any boat that happened to ram her.' Description of a fellow restaurant worker.
December 11, 2020
يبدو أن علاقتي بالكتب أصبحت حرجة وخطيرة بل وبحاجة لمعاودة النظر بها...
بدأت قراءة هذه القصة القصيرة في الصباح الباكر حيث التقيتُ بفتاة في عيد ميلادها العشرين تمنت أمنية ما
هل تحققت؟؟...
نعم ولا ...!!!
مازال امامها حياة طويلة لتعيشها ولا تعرف كيف سينتهي بها المطاف كما انها أمنية تستغرق وقتاً لتتحقق ...!!!!
بالطبع تأخرت عن العمل لأنني كنت مستغرقة بالتفكير فى معرفة تلك الأمنية ، وبعدها ظللت شاردة الذهن طويلاً ، حصلت على إذن من العمل وهنا تكمن الخطورة فلم أستطع مقاومة فضولي إزاء تلك الأمنية ، وقرأت القصة مرة ثانية ، و بالرغم من أن جاءت الإجابة تومض بذهني كما ��و أنها أخيراً تعلن عن توقف العاصفة وتسلل أشعة الشمس بغتة في قلب سماء غائمة إلا إنني مازلت غير متيقنة من تخميني بشأن تلك الأمنية المجهولة ...
"" بغض النظر عما نتمناه ، مهما ذهبنا بعيداً في أمنياتنا ، ��ا نستطيع ان نكون غير ما نحن عليه ، هذا كل ما في الأمر""..
هل أمنيتها أن تتقبل ذاتها وحياتها مهما كانت..فهى لم تكن إلا على ما هى عليه.....
يبدو أن السيد " موراكامي" وحده من يعلم ماذا كانت تلك الأمنية المجهولة ...
بدأت قراءة هذه القصة القصيرة في الصباح الباكر حيث التقيتُ بفتاة في عيد ميلادها العشرين تمنت أمنية ما
هل تحققت؟؟...
نعم ولا ...!!!
مازال امامها حياة طويلة لتعيشها ولا تعرف كيف سينتهي بها المطاف كما انها أمنية تستغرق وقتاً لتتحقق ...!!!!
بالطبع تأخرت عن العمل لأنني كنت مستغرقة بالتفكير فى معرفة تلك الأمنية ، وبعدها ظللت شاردة الذهن طويلاً ، حصلت على إذن من العمل وهنا تكمن الخطورة فلم أستطع مقاومة فضولي إزاء تلك الأمنية ، وقرأت القصة مرة ثانية ، و بالرغم من أن جاءت الإجابة تومض بذهني كما ��و أنها أخيراً تعلن عن توقف العاصفة وتسلل أشعة الشمس بغتة في قلب سماء غائمة إلا إنني مازلت غير متيقنة من تخميني بشأن تلك الأمنية المجهولة ...
"" بغض النظر عما نتمناه ، مهما ذهبنا بعيداً في أمنياتنا ، ��ا نستطيع ان نكون غير ما نحن عليه ، هذا كل ما في الأمر""..
هل أمنيتها أن تتقبل ذاتها وحياتها مهما كانت..فهى لم تكن إلا على ما هى عليه.....
يبدو أن السيد " موراكامي" وحده من يعلم ماذا كانت تلك الأمنية المجهولة ...
June 9, 2018
3.5 estrellas
Es un relato corto de Haruki Murakami que es muy fiel a su estilo, muy onírico y pacífico. Las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y el relato del cumpleaños del escritor interesante también. En lineas generales una edición muy linda que recomendaría sólo para los fans de Murakami.
Es un relato corto de Haruki Murakami que es muy fiel a su estilo, muy onírico y pacífico. Las ilustraciones son muy bonitas y el relato del cumpleaños del escritor interesante también. En lineas generales una edición muy linda que recomendaría sólo para los fans de Murakami.
July 3, 2018
Siempre es un placer para mí leer a Murakami así que vamos a dejar bien claro que con él (al igual que con Gabo, Rick Riordan y Chuck Palahniuk) no puedo ser objetiva.
Dejando esto claro, leer este libro es como soñar y despertar abruptamente.
También debo acotar que 'La chica del cumpleaños' es un relato que hace parte de otro libro de Murakami ya publicado. Es el cuarto cuento (tercero o cuarto, no recuerdo bien) de 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida' que tiene otros 23 relatos más. Esta versión no tiene nada diferente en sí, pero sí tiene un valor agregado y es que está ilustrado por Kat Menschik que hace un trabajo MAGNÍFICO; en un color rojo sugerente que llama por completo la atención pero no se la roba, sus ilustraciones acompañan la historia.
El cuento va de una chica que está cumpliendo 20 años pero le toca trabajar ese día. El dueño del restaurante, un anciano que vive en el mismo edificio del restaurante pero que nunca se deja ver, al enterarse de que es su cumpleaños decide que le va a conceder un deseo, el que sea, pero solo uno y no se puede arrepentir después de que lo haya pedido...
Y entonces es donde empieza la magia de Murakami para mostrarte escenarios definidos, acciones cotidianas que parecen rituales y capas tras capas de pensamientos. Porque si tú tuvieras 20 años y te permitieran un deseo ¿Qué pedirías? ¿Y qué pasaría si lo que pides cambia toda tu vida al punto de dejar de ser tú mismo?
El final es muy abierto y te hace pensar en cuál es el papel del narrador, pues el cuento está narrado desde dos tiempos narrativos y con dos narradores diferentes.
El libro tiene una segunda parte compuesta por un ensayo del mismo autor reflexionando sobre lo que para él significa su cumpleaños, su generación, los vínculos de una fecha y la importancia para él. Y siendo sincera, el libro no sería igual sin esta parte final de Murakami; el ensayo complementa muy bien el cuento y te deja pensando también sobre la importancia de envejecer.
Amo a Murakami pero sigo pensando que su fuerte siempre serán las novelas y los ensayos; los cuentos no explotan todo su potencial. Y este cuento funciona muy bien en 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida', pero cuando se lee solo, te deja algo en el limbo. Afortunadamente el ensayo final del autor, las ilustraciones de Kat Menschik y la edición EXQUISITA de este libro hace que valga completamente la pena tenerlo en tu biblioteca.
Mi más sincera opinión es que este libro está dirigido a coleccionistas del autor, si es tu primer libro de él (o no eres fan), mejor compra 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida' que es una magnifica recopilación y no te deja esa sensación de haber leído algo que se esfumó en media hora.
4 estrellas. Es un libro precioso que atesoraré como la fan loca de Haruki Murakami que soy.
Dejando esto claro, leer este libro es como soñar y despertar abruptamente.
También debo acotar que 'La chica del cumpleaños' es un relato que hace parte de otro libro de Murakami ya publicado. Es el cuarto cuento (tercero o cuarto, no recuerdo bien) de 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida' que tiene otros 23 relatos más. Esta versión no tiene nada diferente en sí, pero sí tiene un valor agregado y es que está ilustrado por Kat Menschik que hace un trabajo MAGNÍFICO; en un color rojo sugerente que llama por completo la atención pero no se la roba, sus ilustraciones acompañan la historia.
El cuento va de una chica que está cumpliendo 20 años pero le toca trabajar ese día. El dueño del restaurante, un anciano que vive en el mismo edificio del restaurante pero que nunca se deja ver, al enterarse de que es su cumpleaños decide que le va a conceder un deseo, el que sea, pero solo uno y no se puede arrepentir después de que lo haya pedido...
Y entonces es donde empieza la magia de Murakami para mostrarte escenarios definidos, acciones cotidianas que parecen rituales y capas tras capas de pensamientos. Porque si tú tuvieras 20 años y te permitieran un deseo ¿Qué pedirías? ¿Y qué pasaría si lo que pides cambia toda tu vida al punto de dejar de ser tú mismo?
El final es muy abierto y te hace pensar en cuál es el papel del narrador, pues el cuento está narrado desde dos tiempos narrativos y con dos narradores diferentes.
El libro tiene una segunda parte compuesta por un ensayo del mismo autor reflexionando sobre lo que para él significa su cumpleaños, su generación, los vínculos de una fecha y la importancia para él. Y siendo sincera, el libro no sería igual sin esta parte final de Murakami; el ensayo complementa muy bien el cuento y te deja pensando también sobre la importancia de envejecer.
Amo a Murakami pero sigo pensando que su fuerte siempre serán las novelas y los ensayos; los cuentos no explotan todo su potencial. Y este cuento funciona muy bien en 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida', pero cuando se lee solo, te deja algo en el limbo. Afortunadamente el ensayo final del autor, las ilustraciones de Kat Menschik y la edición EXQUISITA de este libro hace que valga completamente la pena tenerlo en tu biblioteca.
Mi más sincera opinión es que este libro está dirigido a coleccionistas del autor, si es tu primer libro de él (o no eres fan), mejor compra 'Sauce ciego, mujer dormida' que es una magnifica recopilación y no te deja esa sensación de haber leído algo que se esfumó en media hora.
4 estrellas. Es un libro precioso que atesoraré como la fan loca de Haruki Murakami que soy.
October 6, 2017
If a 20 years old girl could have anything she wanted for her birthday -anything at all; what she would wish?
I took some time to think, but I couldn't come up with a single wish.
That's because the author believes that:
No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never been anything but themselves. That's all.
Better take life as it comes...
I took some time to think, but I couldn't come up with a single wish.
That's because the author believes that:
No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never been anything but themselves. That's all.
Better take life as it comes...
March 19, 2023
The story ended in a very strange way, with so many questions left behind! Which led me to turn to the all-knowing Google because I had to know whatever I discovered. However, what I have gotten has only added to my confusion and left me with even more mind-boggling questions. Ahh... 🤦🏻♀️the funny thing is, I finished the book in only one day, but it took me more than two days to digest all the confusing stuff and overthink the last part.
Anyway, overall, I still found this short, thought-provoking book to be a worthwhile read; Murakami's command of language and ability to create vivid imagery are truly remarkable. I had a unique experience with this one which I will remember for a long time.
Anyway, overall, I still found this short, thought-provoking book to be a worthwhile read; Murakami's command of language and ability to create vivid imagery are truly remarkable. I had a unique experience with this one which I will remember for a long time.
February 11, 2019
Published as its own dinky lil book in celebration of the author’s 70th this year, Haruki Murakami’s Birthday Girl (previously published in the Birthday Stories anthology) is about a waitress who, on her 20th birthday, takes dinner to the reclusive restaurant owner who lives above her workplace - a person who isn’t quite who he appears to be at first…
Birthday Girl is a decent story. It’s well-written as always and I liked that Murakami took what initially seemed to be a mundane tale into a magical realist direction towards the end. It’s the kind of thing Murakami does so well and it also tied in perfectly with the birthday theme.
It does take a while to get going though, which ain’t great considering it’s quite short anyway, and I felt that the ending was unsatisfying in its vagueness. I wanted more from the story than I got and it seemed a bit of a cop-out to end it like that. Or more likely I’m too dim to have understood it!
Murakami’s written better stories but Birthday Girl wasn’t bad - happy 70th, sir!
Birthday Girl is a decent story. It’s well-written as always and I liked that Murakami took what initially seemed to be a mundane tale into a magical realist direction towards the end. It’s the kind of thing Murakami does so well and it also tied in perfectly with the birthday theme.
It does take a while to get going though, which ain’t great considering it’s quite short anyway, and I felt that the ending was unsatisfying in its vagueness. I wanted more from the story than I got and it seemed a bit of a cop-out to end it like that. Or more likely I’m too dim to have understood it!
Murakami’s written better stories but Birthday Girl wasn’t bad - happy 70th, sir!
November 15, 2019
Regular Murakami readers might be disappointed with Birthday Girl, but it is still a very good short story for someone who is looking to deep dive in the ocean that is Murakami.
In his classic style, the author leaves the story open for individual interpretation so much that every time I think about it, I end up wandering in a different direction. There is so much that is left unsaid for the reader to explore and make sense of.
"No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all."
"Bumpers are made for denting."
In his classic style, the author leaves the story open for individual interpretation so much that every time I think about it, I end up wandering in a different direction. There is so much that is left unsaid for the reader to explore and make sense of.
"No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all."
"Bumpers are made for denting."
February 10, 2025
This was a great quick introduction to Murakami! I enjoyed this short story, and although I was left a bit unsatisfied at the end, I also enjoyed reading different analyses about the ending online after finishing it. I will definitely be reading more Murakami this year, let me know if you have any recommendations!
April 1, 2023
Relato de Murakami, en el que una chica tiene que trabajar el día de su veinte cumpleaños y llevarle la cena al dueño, un hombre que nadie conoce, en un apartamento del mismo edificio.
Tiene una prosa agradable, es como un cuento que narra un suceso en apariencia cotidiano pero que se torna extraordinario, y al final te deja intrigada pensando en sus muchas interpretaciones, así que si te gustan los finales bien ataditos quizá esta lectura no sea para ti. A mí, como hoy estoy en modo zen, no me ha importado darle vueltas al coco.
Aunque me ha hecho pensar, esta obrita ha resultado agradable pero intrascendente.
La edición es preciosa, con unas ilustraciones muy bonitas en tonos rojizos de Kat Menschik.
3,5⭐
Tiene una prosa agradable, es como un cuento que narra un suceso en apariencia cotidiano pero que se torna extraordinario, y al final te deja intrigada pensando en sus muchas interpretaciones, así que si te gustan los finales bien ataditos quizá esta lectura no sea para ti. A mí, como hoy estoy en modo zen, no me ha importado darle vueltas al coco.
Aunque me ha hecho pensar, esta obrita ha resultado agradable pero intrascendente.
La edición es preciosa, con unas ilustraciones muy bonitas en tonos rojizos de Kat Menschik.
3,5⭐
February 23, 2019
"Bumpers are for denting." and 'No matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves.'"
Rains accompanied by a regular work day is hitherto the story of my life, and that somehow made me relate with the mood, instantly.
Murakami world is mysterious, and I love mysteries.
You can already sense a story within a story, here.
Having been read his previous works, I've come to this conclusion that Murakami's stories are serpentiform and unambiguous, you need to read it once, twice, thrice or more in order to dig in the hidden connotations.
There was something cold and hard about her: if you set her afloat on
the nighttime sea, she could probably sink any boat that happened to ram her.
Though, I really wished he'd have left some hints and I'd somehow come to know what the girl wished for that one time on her 20th birthday!
Yet again, dear readers...you're open to interpret the ending based upon your cognizance!
Rains accompanied by a regular work day is hitherto the story of my life, and that somehow made me relate with the mood, instantly.
Murakami world is mysterious, and I love mysteries.
You can already sense a story within a story, here.
Having been read his previous works, I've come to this conclusion that Murakami's stories are serpentiform and unambiguous, you need to read it once, twice, thrice or more in order to dig in the hidden connotations.
There was something cold and hard about her: if you set her afloat on
the nighttime sea, she could probably sink any boat that happened to ram her.
Though, I really wished he'd have left some hints and I'd somehow come to know what the girl wished for that one time on her 20th birthday!
Yet again, dear readers...you're open to interpret the ending based upon your cognizance!
July 10, 2021
Qué relato tan... sin respuestas. Lo único que queda después de terminar de leerlo son preguntas. Y es que "odio" que una historia no te de un final, que no te explique todo -o al menos casi todo- de la trama.
Así que este relato ha empezado gustándome, y ha dejado de hacerlo al llegar al final.
Lo que sí me ha gustado son las ilustraciones que acompañan la historia, y también el posfacio de Murakami.
Así que este relato ha empezado gustándome, y ha dejado de hacerlo al llegar al final.
Lo que sí me ha gustado son las ilustraciones que acompañan la historia, y también el posfacio de Murakami.
January 31, 2022
“No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That’s all.”
First time reading Murakami. He’s a contemporary writer that’ll be remembered for aeons along with the best.
First time reading Murakami. He’s a contemporary writer that’ll be remembered for aeons along with the best.
November 9, 2019
Typical Murakami weird, in a good way
A very short Haruki Murakami but all the essentials, including an eerie feeling that reality is slightly off, are present. I must say that Birthday Girl is what I enjoyed most from reading 1Q84, but then condensed from several hundred pages to only forty large print ones.
A waitress in Tokio, who works on her 20th birthday, is asked to bring dinner up to the reclusive owner of the restaurant she works in. He offers her a wish, a wish that we as readers are left to ponder as we don't get any clear answers. I loved the melancholic, lonely (and rainy) atmosphere sketched by Murakami and I finished in one breathless session.
An excellent appetizer for the authors work.
3.5 stars rounded down, because it leaves you longing for more and I still think Murakami’s writing style is very sparse and not so special.
A very short Haruki Murakami but all the essentials, including an eerie feeling that reality is slightly off, are present. I must say that Birthday Girl is what I enjoyed most from reading 1Q84, but then condensed from several hundred pages to only forty large print ones.
A waitress in Tokio, who works on her 20th birthday, is asked to bring dinner up to the reclusive owner of the restaurant she works in. He offers her a wish, a wish that we as readers are left to ponder as we don't get any clear answers. I loved the melancholic, lonely (and rainy) atmosphere sketched by Murakami and I finished in one breathless session.
An excellent appetizer for the authors work.
3.5 stars rounded down, because it leaves you longing for more and I still think Murakami’s writing style is very sparse and not so special.
April 27, 2021
“What I’m trying to tell you is this,” she said more softly, scratching an earlobe. It was a beautifully shaped earlobe. “No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That’s all.”
Murakami Haruki turned 70 on 12 January 2019, and Penguin have issued this book in January 2019 to celebrate.
The story though is an older one, from an anthology of birthday stories from famous authors (David Foster-Wallace, William Trevor, Raymond Carver, Denis Johnson, Andrea Lee etc) assembled by Murakami and then translated into English (which for most stories involved un-translating them i.e. returning to the original) by Jay Rubin and published as Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami.
In the introduction to that book Murakami says that he felt inspired to add a story of his own and since none of the stories I had assembled focused on the birthday of a young girl, I chose my character more or less consciously to supply that missing element. (per Rubin's translation). The result was this story. The original can be found in various magazines e.g. Harpers (https://harpers.org/archive/2003/07/b...) and was also included in the later collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
The set-up is a woman, now married, recounting to a friend the events of the night of her 20th birthday. She worked in a small upmarket Roppongi restaurant owned by a mysterious man who lives in an apartment in the same building. Each night the floor manager, and only he, takes the owner his meal - always chicken - and leaves it outside his room, returning an hour to pick it up.
The girl wasn't even meant to be working that night as it was her birthday, but two sudden illnesses mean that not only is she on duty, but she has to take up the meal. Unexpectedly she encounters the mysterious owner, who, learning it is her birthday, and oddly pleased by her kindness in bringing the meal (given a meal is brought to him every night) offers her a present:
The kind of ‘present’ I have in mind is not something tangible, not something with a price tag. To put it simply”—he placed his hands on the desk and took one long, slow breath—”what I would like to do for a lovely young fairy such as you is to grant a wish you might have, to make your wish come true. Anything. Anything at all that you wish for—assuming that you do have such a wish.”
This is such a short story that a lot is left to the reader, and the story is perhaps the better for it. What she wished for, and if it came true, are the obvious questions from her interlocutor, as is, more astutely, whether she regrets her choice, and these questions are at the heart of the story. Or rather they aren't as she refuses to answer the first question, says it is too soon to say on the 2nd and turns the 3rd back on her friend.
The story scores quite poorly on the Murakami bingo card
but one can make a case for an unexpected phone call (from her sick co-worker), supernatural powers (at least the owner claims them), cooking (although not the usual Murakami self-catering) and Tokyo at night (the Roppongi setting). And there is a definite point for a gratuitous ear fetish on the 3rd person narrator's behalf - see the opening quote - perhaps the most signature Murakami element of all.
Nicely done - 3 stars.
Murakami Haruki turned 70 on 12 January 2019, and Penguin have issued this book in January 2019 to celebrate.
The story though is an older one, from an anthology of birthday stories from famous authors (David Foster-Wallace, William Trevor, Raymond Carver, Denis Johnson, Andrea Lee etc) assembled by Murakami and then translated into English (which for most stories involved un-translating them i.e. returning to the original) by Jay Rubin and published as Birthday Stories: Selected and Introduced by Haruki Murakami.
In the introduction to that book Murakami says that he felt inspired to add a story of his own and since none of the stories I had assembled focused on the birthday of a young girl, I chose my character more or less consciously to supply that missing element. (per Rubin's translation). The result was this story. The original can be found in various magazines e.g. Harpers (https://harpers.org/archive/2003/07/b...) and was also included in the later collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
The set-up is a woman, now married, recounting to a friend the events of the night of her 20th birthday. She worked in a small upmarket Roppongi restaurant owned by a mysterious man who lives in an apartment in the same building. Each night the floor manager, and only he, takes the owner his meal - always chicken - and leaves it outside his room, returning an hour to pick it up.
The girl wasn't even meant to be working that night as it was her birthday, but two sudden illnesses mean that not only is she on duty, but she has to take up the meal. Unexpectedly she encounters the mysterious owner, who, learning it is her birthday, and oddly pleased by her kindness in bringing the meal (given a meal is brought to him every night) offers her a present:
The kind of ‘present’ I have in mind is not something tangible, not something with a price tag. To put it simply”—he placed his hands on the desk and took one long, slow breath—”what I would like to do for a lovely young fairy such as you is to grant a wish you might have, to make your wish come true. Anything. Anything at all that you wish for—assuming that you do have such a wish.”
This is such a short story that a lot is left to the reader, and the story is perhaps the better for it. What she wished for, and if it came true, are the obvious questions from her interlocutor, as is, more astutely, whether she regrets her choice, and these questions are at the heart of the story. Or rather they aren't as she refuses to answer the first question, says it is too soon to say on the 2nd and turns the 3rd back on her friend.
The story scores quite poorly on the Murakami bingo card
but one can make a case for an unexpected phone call (from her sick co-worker), supernatural powers (at least the owner claims them), cooking (although not the usual Murakami self-catering) and Tokyo at night (the Roppongi setting). And there is a definite point for a gratuitous ear fetish on the 3rd person narrator's behalf - see the opening quote - perhaps the most signature Murakami element of all.
Nicely done - 3 stars.
May 23, 2022
Hmm okay, hmm....I don't know what is this actually😅 and why it's published as a book. It's so small and could be published with other short stories.
May 16, 2019
The mystery, the goddamned mystery, is what kills the reader. ALWAYS. I wish I was the Birthday Girl. What did she wish for anyway? Can you bloody well tell me, Murakami Sir?
.
.
Usually, I pick up Murakami on a well-planned schedule. That is when I am in a space where my brain is relaxed enough to be doing a taxing chore; that's what Murakami's open-ended novels demand of you. But with the Birthday Girl it was different. It was a short-story, and as my readers might know, I do have a thing for short stories. If I had to, I'd pick short-stories leaving behind every other basic need as is expected of human race.
And this one was a treat!
.
.
.
The Review:
On her 20th birthday, our protagonist has to go into work where she works as a waitress. She is filling in for a colleague who calls in sick. Normally, it is the manager to takes the recluse restaurant owner's dinner to his room. But today, our birthday girl has to take up the task. She enters the owner's room with his usual chicken meal without expecting anything unusual about the evening, that is until the owner offers her a birthday present - a wish.
The story as short as it is, is abundant in Murakami's signature style of leaving a reader with endless possibilities of contemplating a scene, a character, or the end itself. And so is replicated here with ultimate finesse. It is not so much about the birthday girl or the restaurant's owner, as much as it is about that magical space in which they are both placed, following the girl's wish.
Now what the wish was is a different mystery altogether, for it is left for the reader to comprehend and contemplate to their wit's end and every logic you use will be the thread to a unique story from you, which may not necessarily be the actual plot. For me, this bit is almost as exhilarating as it is frustrating, for for weeks I couldn't come up with a fitting case for a wish and finally, gave in to the author's literary tyranny - which is to sometimes accept things as they are.
As for the characters, while the birthday girl's character is not something that's enticing but the recluse owner's seems pretty captivating, oozing with a certain charm and mystery one can hardly grow accustomed with without being unnerved. And yet, you want to know him better, perhaps, get inside Murakami's mind and undo the weave of his character, get right down to the fabric of his enigmatic existence.
The story feels great in every aspect, that is unless you look at some of Murakami's other works, and that's when a slight disappointment starts to creep into your veins. You expect more, a lot more, because that's what gets served when you enter 'Restaurant Murakami'. You know every pick and morsel is going to be worth it.
.
.
.
Finally:
Birthday Girl, is a good place to begin with, if you are first-time Murakami reader. His other works tend to get heavy for newbies. If one wishes to acquaint better with his style, the prodigy that he is, I can't think of a better book than Birthday Girl. It's got everything a Murakami book is and yet leaves the reader asking for more, painfully so.
If you happen to read ‘Birthday Girl’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.
.
.
Usually, I pick up Murakami on a well-planned schedule. That is when I am in a space where my brain is relaxed enough to be doing a taxing chore; that's what Murakami's open-ended novels demand of you. But with the Birthday Girl it was different. It was a short-story, and as my readers might know, I do have a thing for short stories. If I had to, I'd pick short-stories leaving behind every other basic need as is expected of human race.
And this one was a treat!
.
.
.
The Review:
On her 20th birthday, our protagonist has to go into work where she works as a waitress. She is filling in for a colleague who calls in sick. Normally, it is the manager to takes the recluse restaurant owner's dinner to his room. But today, our birthday girl has to take up the task. She enters the owner's room with his usual chicken meal without expecting anything unusual about the evening, that is until the owner offers her a birthday present - a wish.
The story as short as it is, is abundant in Murakami's signature style of leaving a reader with endless possibilities of contemplating a scene, a character, or the end itself. And so is replicated here with ultimate finesse. It is not so much about the birthday girl or the restaurant's owner, as much as it is about that magical space in which they are both placed, following the girl's wish.
Now what the wish was is a different mystery altogether, for it is left for the reader to comprehend and contemplate to their wit's end and every logic you use will be the thread to a unique story from you, which may not necessarily be the actual plot. For me, this bit is almost as exhilarating as it is frustrating, for for weeks I couldn't come up with a fitting case for a wish and finally, gave in to the author's literary tyranny - which is to sometimes accept things as they are.
As for the characters, while the birthday girl's character is not something that's enticing but the recluse owner's seems pretty captivating, oozing with a certain charm and mystery one can hardly grow accustomed with without being unnerved. And yet, you want to know him better, perhaps, get inside Murakami's mind and undo the weave of his character, get right down to the fabric of his enigmatic existence.
The story feels great in every aspect, that is unless you look at some of Murakami's other works, and that's when a slight disappointment starts to creep into your veins. You expect more, a lot more, because that's what gets served when you enter 'Restaurant Murakami'. You know every pick and morsel is going to be worth it.
.
.
.
Finally:
Birthday Girl, is a good place to begin with, if you are first-time Murakami reader. His other works tend to get heavy for newbies. If one wishes to acquaint better with his style, the prodigy that he is, I can't think of a better book than Birthday Girl. It's got everything a Murakami book is and yet leaves the reader asking for more, painfully so.
If you happen to read ‘Birthday Girl’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.
April 13, 2017
"No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all."
May 29, 2018
"La chica del cumpleaños" es un relato extraído del libro Sauce ciego, mujer dormida.
El día del cumpleaños de una joven japonesa discute con su novio, lo que hace que se replantee su relación, le toca trabajar en un turno que no le corresponde y además llevar la cena al dueño del local, algo nuevo y al que no conoce. Él, al enterarse que es su cumpleaños le dice que pida un deseo que él se lo va a conceder.
De ritmo lento, pausado, relatado como un cuento, lo mejor sin duda son las ilustraciones de la artista alemana Kat Menschik, el termina con un posfacio de Haruki Murakami, titulado «Mi cumpleaños»
El día del cumpleaños de una joven japonesa discute con su novio, lo que hace que se replantee su relación, le toca trabajar en un turno que no le corresponde y además llevar la cena al dueño del local, algo nuevo y al que no conoce. Él, al enterarse que es su cumpleaños le dice que pida un deseo que él se lo va a conceder.
De ritmo lento, pausado, relatado como un cuento, lo mejor sin duda son las ilustraciones de la artista alemana Kat Menschik, el termina con un posfacio de Haruki Murakami, titulado «Mi cumpleaños»
July 23, 2018
Este libro tan bonito es un cuento escrito por Murakami. A la chica del cumpleaños le pasó una cosa extraña cuando cumplió los veinte años y yo quedé con preguntas...como me suele pasar cuando leo Murakami...naaarmal. Pero además concluí que si pudiera pedir UN deseo no sé cuál sería...¿ustedes sí saben una sola cosa que quieran?
Bueno, además tiene un mensaje acerca de la esencia de cada persona y me gustó la nota de Murakami al final y ya quiero leer a London.
Bueno, además tiene un mensaje acerca de la esencia de cada persona y me gustó la nota de Murakami al final y ya quiero leer a London.
May 29, 2019
That was good.
I love the illustrations.
I love the illustrations.
April 21, 2019
This was a very shoddy and confusing tale
I have many peeves with this one
1. I know , Murakami leaves it abstract and often waxes philosophical... But this one seemed forced . With a couple of jazzy quotes which dazzle the reader
Ex:
'Bumpers are meant to be dented'
'No matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves '
2. A short tale of 10 minutes sold as a hardback book costing 199 INR , which I feel is pure and simple cheating .
3. The story starts in third person and ends in first person ... Perhaps I missed the transition , but I don't think so. I am too irritated to go back and check .
4. No substance in the story ... Title is a gimmick to attract the reader .. or perhapss it is not.
Overall , I am sorely disappointed in one of my favourite authors .
I have many peeves with this one
1. I know , Murakami leaves it abstract and often waxes philosophical... But this one seemed forced . With a couple of jazzy quotes which dazzle the reader
Ex:
'Bumpers are meant to be dented'
'No matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves '
2. A short tale of 10 minutes sold as a hardback book costing 199 INR , which I feel is pure and simple cheating .
3. The story starts in third person and ends in first person ... Perhaps I missed the transition , but I don't think so. I am too irritated to go back and check .
4. No substance in the story ... Title is a gimmick to attract the reader .. or perhapss it is not.
Overall , I am sorely disappointed in one of my favourite authors .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,327 reviews