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Originally Posted by Alex Stroup
Which raises for me the possibility that none of the events described really happened. That it is all just the metaphorical coping of a man who has learned his wife was unfaithful and waiting to see how they cope with that.
But that's most likely going to far.
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Perhaps, but I get this as a real possibility too, that all (or much) of this is a product of Toru's dream world and thus all the characters are really facets of Toru.
What I picked up in my second reading was the concept of "imagination." Boris warns of people using it to ill consequences in the camp, and you have to wonder how much is going on in Toru's imagination and possibly preventing him from acting in a decisive fashion. I was also more intrigued by Cinnamon's "Chronicle" - Toru speculates that much is imaginary since Cinnamon nor Nutmeg actually experienced it and rather obejct of thier current life made their way into a sort of fictional mythology (But I love the concept of creating one's own personal mythology), I wonder if this is comments somewhat on our own benign ways of reinventing our pasts?
Which leads me to think about Murakami dealing with Japanese War attrocities, which were very real horrors and hardly the product of imagination. This struck me very differently than say post-war German writing which is very heavy handed and guilt laden about dealing with the events of that hemisphere.
I'm also intrigued by the running theme of "prostitution" Creta, a prostitute of the mind and one-time flesh, Nutmeg and Toru essentailly prostituing their own psychic abilities (Toru even compares what he does with Creta). And even the conclusion Komiko's confession of being with many men, sounds more like a prostitute than her out having a good time.
On the other end of the spectrum is May, all sexual tension, but remaining virginal and in some sense being Toru's savior/confessor at the bottom of the well, and she provides solace at the books end. As to why Toru never got her letters - May herslef in her last letter confessed she addressed the notes "vaguely" so perhaps these are letters written never intended to be read, though the last one expresses some regret for that. From May's perspective, it may have been to protect her from being vulnerable confessing her thoughts in her new life.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop now and read some more.