The story tries to tell us something, something...

He loved it.

Murakami is a master of the short story and this one is no exception. As with most things he writes I am always left wanting more.

I read this book in practically one breath. It has many illustrations so technically it is only half of 125 pages. I would say it is actually a short story stretched into a book. I must admit that the short story is long on meaning. I will be thinking about the story for many days and reflecting on the possibilities of interpretation and relevance to what is called reality.

Seriously, this book was a total waste of time. It comes in at about a second grade reading level, and is never terribly interesting. Avoid at all costs.