Well, damn. That was a long, long ride.

This has everything he's known for, but it's drawn out to the plausible extreme. This is a work that'll creep... up... on... you... like moss.

But a good moss. A friendly moss. A moss that, once it arrives, it's comforting and makes you go "ah." It's one of those mosses that had been secretly nourishing things and you didn't realize it. It's probably not even a moss you'd appreciate, because tastes would differ. Or something.

Wait, does moss even work like that? Where was I?

But seriously.

The one major detraction of this work is the pacing. I'm one to linger in what I'm reading, but even here I had bouts of impatience. There's a lot of repetition, and what I'd classify as "padding" as well. (In quotes because if you skim, chances are very high you could miss one tiny, crucial detail. It's that sorta novel.)

And the characters aren't the most... fleshed out. They played their bits. And in Tengo's case, he was unforgivably boring. I can say with a certainty, this: if 2/3rd through the first book and you still don't care about these people, don't waste your time and just put the book down.

I can't recommend it if this'd be your first Murakami novel. Read some of his other (and shorter, ha!) works first to see if you like his style. I do, and that was the sole reason why I stuck with this book(s) entire (oh, and for Fuka-Eri; she was pretty cool IMO). But even then it was tough.

I've a feeling it'll linger for quite awhile. (The good lingering. The friendly lingering...) EDIT: I'm left with... something. And I'm still not entirely sure if the lingering is friendly or good.

Ho ho, says the keeper of the beat.