A young man accompanies his cousin to the hospital to check on an unusual auditory complaint and recalls a story about a woman who slept through tiny insects invading her ear. A mirror appears out of nowhere, and a night guard becomes unsettled as his reflection tries to control him. A couple's relationship becomes unbalanced after a meal exclusively of fine crab while on vacation. A man follows instructions from a postcard to apply for a job, but an unknown code stands between him and his mysterious employer. In each of these stories, Murakami eschews the real and runs toward the surreal. Everyday events are transcended, leaving the reader ecstatic from this master of the art. "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" is Murakami's most eclectic collection of stories to date, spanning five years of his writing. An introduction explains the variety of the author's selection.