“Of course, they’re not clowning around trying to make me laugh. They’re doing their best to live very serious lives, and they just happen to fall down sometimes. I think that’s cool.”
— Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle)
I think finishing this book a few weeks earlier than I had would have been cool. I’ve not enjoyed reading this much in quite a while. Looking back, nothing much happened in way of narrative, but the heavily metaphysical and philosophical nature of Murakami’s work is something all his own. “Surreal” doesn’t begin to describe it. If you’re looking for a read that makes your head spin and pushes you to do a gut check, then this book is for you. But if you’re looking for something fast-paced and exciting, try another author. Or better yet, rent out a bluray disc of an action movie that goes well with popcorn and soda.