"The Second Bakery Attack" by Haruki Murakami

 

The Second Bakery Attack

by Haruki Murakami

I got this short story from the book The Elephant Vanishes which is a short story collection written by Haruki Murakami from 1980 to 1991.

The Second Bakery Attack, the second story in the collection, centers around a newlywed couple who have little to dine on. The couple spends their time before bed conversing during which the man recounts his first attack on a bakery some years ago with the help of a friend of his. The baker, for some reason, suggested that if they listened to Richard Wagner's LP, he'd allow them to have all the bread they wanted. The problem was that after this 'attack', a kind of curse began to affect the 'attacker' and all those around him, including his girlfriend, with a kind of hunger that cannot be satisfied. The girlfriend suggests that they should attack another bakery right away in an attempt to undo the curse.

While Murakami is known for his long works such as Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, 1Q84, etc, his mastery of the written word is most noticeable in his short stories. They are weird, absurd, and stuffed with subtleties that are easily overlooked. 

I enjoyed reading TSBA. I think it's not as hard as Murakami's other short stories. I can relate to the main protagonist. Sometimes in life, you set out to do something and you get it done, but you still feel that void consuming you. Like for example, you want to pass an exam, but you haven't studied, but with the help of a friend, you cheated and passed the exam. You're happy for a moment... but deep, deep down, you know there's something wrong. You know you don't deserve to pass. You know you didn't study (the protagonist didn't want to work). You know you're not fulfilled (the protagonist felt the ever-gnawing hunger deep within). The thrill is gone. The feeling of achieving something by yourself is gone. 

As the story progresses, the couple decides to search for a bakery but then settles for a McDonald's. The "attack" is a success, and the couple feels good. After reading this, we feel as readers that the story ended well for everyone. The curse is undone, their hunger is satisfied, but is it? Of course, they feel at the end calm and content, but how couldn't they when they've wolfed down a couple of big Macs. What about when the 'physiological' hunger is gone some hours later? It's a nice touch--and a sneaky one--to finish the story right there.