"The Second Bakery Attack" by Haruki Murakami

LeVar Burton Reads

Stitcher

Arts, Performing Arts

4.9 • 17K Ratings

🗓️ 1 August 2017

⏱️ 42 minutes

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Summary

Cursed with an unbearable hunger, a newlywed couple goes to drastic measures to break its spell. "The Second Bakery Attack" appears in Haruki Murakami's collection THE ELEPHANT VANISHES from Vintage Books, and is available as an audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio. Thanks to our presenting sponsor Audible. Start your free trial and get a free audiobook at audible.com/levar.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Lavar Burton and this is Lavar Burton Reads.
0:10.2	It's where I hand-pick a different piece of sort fiction each episode and read it to you.
0:15.1	The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.
0:22.3	Today, I'm going to bring you a story from the award-winning author Haruki Murakami.
0:29.9	He is the unofficial writer laureate of Japan.
0:36.0	Our story today is called The Second Bakery Attack and it's from the collection,
0:40.2	The Elephant Vanishes from Vintage Books.
0:42.7	Murakami is not only the best-selling author in Japan, his novels have been incredibly popular here in the United States.
0:49.4	His newest book is a collection of short stories,
0:53.6	hallelujah, called Men Without Women.
0:57.0	Now, on to today's story.
0:58.6	There are a couple of things that are really classic elements in a Murakami story,
1:03.4	like lots of Western and American pop culture references.
1:08.6	There is one reference in this story that is quintessential,
1:13.4	iconographic, American pop culture.
1:18.1	A lot of Murakami stories feel sort of dreamlike and this one is no exception.
1:23.1	This one literally begins with a couple waking up in the middle of the night.
1:28.6	And because of the imagery, the logic, the dialogue,
1:33.4	you'll really feel like you are experiencing somebody's dream.
1:38.3	I want you to pay close attention to the dynamic of the couple in this story.
1:46.2	Because everybody, no matter who you are, if you're in a relationship, you've got secrets.
1:54.0	And that's all I'm going to say for now.
	...

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