This is a coming-of-age novel set in the late 1960s in Tokyo. It follows the story of Toru Watanabe, a 19-year-old college student, as he navigates his relationships with his friends and lovers. The novel explores themes of love, sexuality, mortality, mental illness, and guilt. Watanabe's introspection and shyness make him attractive to a certain kind of female, and his search for values in a money-mad, success-crazed culture rests on his determination to help his friend Naoko, who has taken the suicide of their mutual friend Kizuki badly. Midori, a working-class girl, is a vivid character who challenges Watanabe to put the book down, stop brooding about mortality, and live a little. Murakami's narrative of Watanabe's journey is masterful, and his exploration of the themes of the novel is both poignant and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
