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I’d heard Murakami didn’t write women well, and perhaps I started with the wrong book of his. Among the lovely stretches of writing there were random bits that felt like incel fan fiction. And every time such a line would occur, I’d ask myself “is this because the characters are all supposed to be deeply flawed?” But I don’t think that’s the case.

I liked enough of the writing to try another of his books.

4.5 stars. I liked this book quite a bit more than the first. The message of both is extremely heavy handed, but it's a really great reflection of humanity. Both your own and as a whole.

There's no central conflict and no traditional arc. I found myself worrying when something would happen that would traditionally lead to something to be overcome. It was refreshing to have a drama-free story.

It was a reminder to be present. It shows how simple it is to be inclusive and conscientious and how universal some experiences are. I think the heavy handedness works in this case.

I gotta stew on this. I liked it, I’m just not sure how much I liked it overall. I liked the writing quite a bit. It’s just…does the story work for me?

Don’t let my 2 week reading time fool you. This is a short read. Really charming.

4.5

Look, I’m a logic guy. If you examine this book closely you’re going to see a lot of issues with the “science” and there are some odd decisions that characters make that a real person wouldn’t, but the themes and the method in which the themes are told are right up my alley and I had a good time. Gets surprisingly dark for a moment.

4.5 stars. A fun summer read and different enough from the movie that there is some fresh surprises.

edit to add: there are some problematic aspects to this book given its age. They weren’t plentiful or egregious enough to prevent me from being able to enjoy it though. Just a heads up for the more sensitive among you.

Shelving this for now. I'll probably return at some point.