I read this book years ago, on a whirlwind romance with Murakami's books in which I read everything he had written up until that point within a few months. Since I read 8 of his novels and the short story collections all back to back there is a lot of mashing and blending together of all of his stories in my memory ... But for some reason, some of the stories stick out more than others and this one especially. I recall the feelings that I felt for and about Sumire and K almost as intimately as I recall my own experiences. A great entry into Murakami since it's not as Big (literally and figuratively) as his more famous novels; and a must-read for any Murakami fans. The expression of emotion in this book is just exquisite - you will feel what the characters feel.