What will you get for your birthday this year? A chance to see into the future? Or a reminder of an imperfect past?

In this enviable gathering, Haruki Murakami has chosen for his party some of the very best short story writers of recent years, each with their own birthday experiences, each story a snapshot of life on a single day. Including stories by Russell Banks, Ethan Canin, Raymond Carver, David Foster Wallace, Denis Johnson, Claire Keegan, Andrea Lee, Daniel Lyons, Lynda Sexson, Paul Theroux, William Trevor and Haruki Murakami, this anthology captures a range of emotions evoked by advancing age and the passing of time, from events fondly recalled to the impact of appalling tragedy.

This is an interesting collection of short stories, but as always happens with this type of book, some stories are much better than others.

"The Birthday Cake" was one of my favorites: it seemed harsh, the inflexibility of the old lady, in the end we have to admit that for her it was much more than a cake, it was a ritual, one that couldn't be stopped, even for the happiness of a child.

This copy was offered at Bookmooch and is now travelling to Canada.
Enjoy!