false 5 2 false false Thu Mar 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 29 17:25:01 -0700 2007 Sun Mar 16 05:32:06 -0700 2008 2
--- upon 2nd read: ---
Obviously not as surprising on the second but equally potent. Great extended metaphor for mechanisms of learning and memory. And its craft does not diminish.

--- Murakami meta-commentary: ---
ALSO: Does anyone have any idea what is up with Murakami's apparent fascination with juvenile female supporting-perhaps-even-central plot characters? E.g., Dance Dance Dance; e.g., Wind-Up Bird Chronicle; e.g., Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. This is a common trope for him and I cannot figure out this sub-text.]]>