In this entertaining collection of 17 off-the-wall short stories by Japan's leading contemporary novelist, strange things happen in an ordinary world. Or mostlordinary. In Japan. Mostly.A man, cooking spaghetti, receives a surprise phone call; hunger drives a couple to rob McDonald's; an insomniac wife wakes in a different world; a middle-class middle manager deals with a defining moment in his childhood; and an elephant vanishes.While the tales are engaging and quirky, Murakami's hallmarks of strong storylines and a sympathetic view of his characters are as prominent here in his shorter prose as in his novels. Excerpted from The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.