This book is one of my favourites as most of the main events of the story occur in Autumn and so I read it at this time of year and have done most years since I bought it.
The tale itself is a bittersweet love-triangle between Watanabe and two girls; Naoko – the girl who he cannot be with due to her poor health and the fact that she was the girlfriend of his childhood best friend who died, and Midori – a wild girl who has a hectic life and a boyfriend. There are other characters such as those in Watanabe’s uni dorm and Reiko, Naoko’s ‘nurse’ and friend.
It’s a fairly sad story with an unfinished ending that you can guess did or didn’t end happily due to the ambiguity at both the end and the beginning when Watanabe starts reminiscing. It isn’t clear whether he ended up with anyone but in the opening he seems very much alone.
You know from the beginning of the story that something bad happens to Naoko but Murakami makes you forget that and wait to see if she gets better from her mysterious condition. So, even though you know she probably won’t, it still hurts when she dies. Murakami portrays Watanabe’s grief vividly that you almost go through all those emotions with him and that almost makes the ambiguity of the ending and beginning hurt even more because we’re desperate for him to have his happy ending but not sure if he ever gets one.
But for all of its sadness, it is still one of my favourite novels – especially to read in the Autumn which is a nostalgic season for me – and this is a very nostalgic story.
Imagination Mansion 