It's hard to believe this is anybody's first novel. A group of stories with seemingly wildly different characters locations and plots, but all linked by a gradually developing theme. The stories also have scattered, sometimes humorous, references to each other that are reminiscent of the way that cinema shots are linked. A brilliant, puzzle-like creation; perhaps better than his similar later Cloud Atlas. Also includes a Murikami-like segment a la number9dream. The only thing that keeps it from 5 stars for me is that the author's interest in fate/chance/the connection of events doesn't interest me as much as it does him.