I understand thatDance, Dance, Dance is in a few ways a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase.

Does anyone know of any other Murakami novels that are "paired" or sequential such as these. In other words, novels that are prequels or sequels to other novels?

Thanks in advance.

Yes, both Hear the Wind Wing and Pinball, 1978 are connected to A Wild Sheep Chase. And as far as I can understand, Norwegian Wood is connected to Pinball, 1978. But non of them is connected in a straightforward way.

This complexity is one of the things I love the most about Murakami..

I've noticed that a lot of characters in his short stories are named Noboru Watanabi...

Mosca wrote: "I understand thatDance, Dance, Dance is in a few ways a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase.

Does anyone know of any other Murakami novels that are "paired" or sequential such..."

I read Dance, Dance, Dance before Wild Sheep Chase, and though there are tenuous ties, I didn't feel like it harmed either book to read them "out of sequence."

There are a few characters called 'Toru', I think three so far from the books I've read. I know that's not what you meant but I wonder why that name, and the prevalence of cats in the stories, and whiskey! Maybe Murakami is projecting himself onto the characters' personalities.

Having read several of his work, reading some interviews with him and saw his face, I think Murakami might be projecting himself into many stories that he wrote: someone with a complex character, loves Jazz and cats, aloof, deadpan.

Pinball, 1978--I actually have a copy of that in Japanese, but I don't know if there are any English copies available. I've tried to read some of Murakami's work in Japanese, but I'm not to the point where I can read very comfortably.

In Japan, at least, "Hear the Wind Sing," "Pinball, 1978," and "A Wild Sheep Chase" are considered to be "Sheep" trilogy. I don't know why "Dance, Dance, Dance" is not included though...

One trivia: Eric mentioned the name "Noboru Watanabe," which appears in some of Murakami's short stories and "Wind-Up Bird Chronicle." It is the real name of Mizumaru Anzai, a very famous Japanese illustrator who often collaborates with Murakami and is also one of Murakami's (a very few) best friends.

That name is also in Norwiegan Wood, is it not. I wonder if it's the same character.

Daniel,

I found a copy of Pinball online that is in English if you're interested.

Eric i've always wanted to read pinball but can't find it! could you tell me where you found that copy?

I'm interested in that copy of Pinball in English!

Eric wrote: "Daniel,

I found a copy of Pinball online that is in English if you're interested. "

Yeah, I would be very interested. What's the URL?

I thought the English version of "Pinball" was published by Kodansha International, translated by Birnbaum...

I just looked up on Amazon, and the book costs $400!!! It is definitely a collector's item...

From what I have read so far:
1) Short story The Wind-up Bird and Tuesday's Women became the model for the opening section of the novel "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle".
2) Short story Man-Eating Cats was incorporated into novel Sputnik Sweetheart.
3) Short story Firefly was with some changes incorporated into novel Norwegian Wood.
For all of them I have read first the novels and when reading short stories it was an interesting feeling whenever there was some minor detail different in there.
I agree that Dance Dance Dance can be read seperatly, although it is a follow-up.
I would also modestly ask for the above mentioned URL...

Instead of waiting for the URL, just use Google search :)

http://www.betz.lu/media/users/charel/pi...

Nicole (& William): thanks for the "push" I needed. I'm reading already, on page 69 atm. Confused :)