Many happy returns

Each story in this compilation takes place on someone's birthday. It's a neat theme for an anthology and Murakami has chosen his stories well, with authors ranging from Raymond Carver (the story is a shortened version of his masterpiece A Small Good Thing) to Paul Theroux and Murakami himself.

William Trevor's quiet study of an elderly couple preparing an annual birthday lunch for their son stands out, and Andrea Lee's piece about a wife and the unorthodox present she buys for her Italian husband is also particularly well realised.