I'm embarrassed to admit that I picked this book up on a whim. At the time, recommendations from friends felt too familiar, so I asked the staff at Brookline Booksmith to find me a good read, with the hopes of discovering something I wouldn't otherwise find. At the time, Murakami hadn't hit big yet — for Literary values of big, that is, not Stephanie Meyer big. I owe that bookseller a great debt.
