海角大神

Author Haruki Murakami has released a new short story in the New Yorker.

The work, titled 鈥淪cheherazade,鈥� appears in the Oct. 13 issue and centers on a man who is unable to depart the house where he is living but is told stories by a woman who visits him. Whenever she tells him a new tale, she leaves off at a suspenseful part. You can read the full story . (Note: the story includes adult content.) According to the New Yorker, the work appeared in a collection by Murakami that was published in Japan titled 鈥淢en Without Women.鈥�

Murakami fans are in luck 鈥� in addition to this work, his novel 鈥淭he Strange Library鈥� will be released in English this December.聽

The author discussed 鈥淪cheherazade鈥� with the New Yorker but noted that even he himself is not able to clear up some of the ambiguous parts of the story, including the reason the man in the narrative, Habara, can鈥檛 leave his house.

鈥淪orry, but I don鈥檛 know the exact circumstances that brought about the situation, either,鈥� he told the . 鈥淥f course, I have a few ideas about what might be the cause, but I expect my readers do as well. I鈥檓 not trying to make a big secret out of it 鈥� in fact, I think if you took their hypotheses and mine and stacked them on top of each other you鈥檇 have an important form of author-reader communication. Because what鈥檚 important isn鈥檛 what caused Habara鈥檚 situation but, rather, how we ourselves would act in similar circumstances.鈥澛�

As to whether there will be a follow-up to 鈥淪cheherazade,鈥� Murakami said, 鈥淚 really have no idea. Each time I finish a short story, I think, Well, that one鈥檚 done. Then, a few years later, it hits me that I might, just maybe, be able to turn a particular story into something more鈥�. 鈥楽cheherazade鈥� is promising material 鈥� I have to admit that.鈥�

As noted by , the story is being released as the announcement for this year's Nobel Prize for Literature nears. Murakami is considered a strong contender for the prize, which will be announced on Oct. 9.