This is the kind of book that stays with you. A coming-of-age story of a boy, who is as confused with his emotions as he is conflicted in the matters of heart. Despite essentially revolving around a love story, the book throws some light behind the disturbing and complex cases of deaths & suicides while forcing you to think about living in the present and enjoying life to the fullest.

This was the first Murakami for me, and I’ll surely be reading more of his books. Although originally being in Japanese, the translated version doesn’t feel translated at all, despite some hiccups here and there. All the characters are solid as well as interesting and the prose is beautiful. Some of the lines manage to bring a sigh from the hopeless romantic in me!

I’ll leave you with an excerpt:

“I have always loved [person A], and I still love her. But there is a decisive finality to what exists between [person B] and me. It has an irresistible power that is bound to sweep me into the future. What I feel for [person A] is a tremendously quiet and gentle and transparent love, but what I feel for [person B] is a wholly different emotion. It stands and walks on its own, living and breathing and throbbing and shaking me to the roots of my being. I don’t know what to do. I’m confused. I have never lied to anyone, and I have taken care over the years not to hurt other people. And yet I find myself tossed into this labyrinth. How can this be?”