LoT Book CLub - Book 2 - Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

Spoiler:

My bad. I was confusing the faceless man with the unidentified antagonist (definitely the brother) who was keeping his wife in the room. I momentarily forgot about the faceless man. The bodiless voice of Komiko is the perfect balance to Toru's faceless counterpart in the well-world. I was confusing myself.

Me too. I need to reread it and I just read it!

[Not Afraid]

This is the second Murakami book I've discussed with others (other than Chris) and I find that his stories are so very rich and textured that there are literally thousands of things that can be discussed. Toru, on the surface, seems like such a passive character, but the surrounding story is so complex and layered it makes for such wonderful storytelling and great discussion.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

This is the second Murakami book I've discussed with others (other than Chris) and I find that his stories are so very rich and textured that there are literally thousands of things that can be discussed. Toru, on the surface, seems like such a passive character, but the surrounding story is so complex and layered it makes for such wonderful storytelling and great discussion.

I wouldn't call him passive. Just open to suggestion. Unlike so many other stories, he actually listens to the advice of others. Too many stories rely on people ignoring the obvious, or good advice to create conflict. Agreability does not necessarily equate to passive.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I wouldn't call him passive. Just open to suggestion. Unlike so many other stories, he actually listens to the advice of others. Too many stories rely on people ignoring the obvious, or good advice to create conflict. Agreability does not necessarily equate to passive.

Spoiler:

I think it's some of both. He lets the phone lady have phone sex with him, he dresses the way Nutmeg wants, various other sexual encounters happen while he just sits back and lets them happen. He doesn't get mad at May for locking him in the well, etc. I'd definitely call him passive a lot of the time. But also agreeable.

[Not Afraid]

Spoiler:

He may be other things in addition to passive, but I would definitely use the word passive as ONE of the adjectives I'd use in describing Toru. Although he does take action at certain times, he lets things happen to him quite a bit. I just was reading where he finds Creta naked, next to him in bed. He basicially does nothing about this situation but cover her with a quilt. Then he falls asleep again on the couch. Then they have this very odd conversation over breakfast and Toru that is completely unlike any conversation I've ever had. So very accepting to her odd story of showing up at his house sans clothes.

It's almost oas if he passivly accepts anything that happens in his life, no matter how odd, shocking or strange. He just acknowledges the fact that these things are odd or shocking but doesn't seem to actually react in any assertive way to these things.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

Spoiler:

It's almost oas if he passivly accepts anything that happens in his life, no matter how odd, shocking or strange. He just acknowledges the fact that these things are odd or shocking but doesn't seem to actually react in any assertive way to these things.

Spoiler:

This reminds me of the convo he had with May where she says that some things are just weird because they are supposed to be weird. That if her parents put macaroni in the microwave and ravioli came out (or something like that) they would just assume that they put the wrong thing in, when really the macaroni had changed into ravioli. Toru is the opposite, it seems.

[€uroMeinke]

Page 362

Spoiler:

Okay, I finally got to the scene I was hoping a second read would make more illucidating - the boy watching the two men bury a cat/infant body - and I still wonder:

Is that Mr. Honda as a child, his ability to hear the wind-up bird a telling of his own connection with the other world?

Or is it a moment in Toru's childhood, or Noboru's, or maybe even foreshadowing of Cinnamon's? Perhaps it is/can be of any or all of them?

Is the house the Miywaki's place, and is the act before the war which defiled the place and brought bad luck to those who lived there? Or was it the acts of war that ultimately blocked the flow of the well?

And who are the two men, one sort of like the boy's father - the other tall in a hat. Having read Kafka on the shore, I got chills thinking it was foreshadowing of Johnny Walker - especially if the body was that of a cat

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Page 362

Spoiler:

Okay, I finally got to the scene I was hoping a second read would make more illucidating - the boy watching the two men bury a cat/infant body - and I still wonder:

Is that Mr. Honda as a child, his ability to hear the wind-up bird a telling of his own connection with the other world?

Or is it a moment in Toru's childhood, or Noboru's, or maybe even foreshadowing of Cinnamon's? Perhaps it is/can be of any or all of them?

Is the house the Miywaki's place, and is the act before the war which defiled the place and brought bad luck to those who lived there? Or was it the acts of war that ultimately blocked the flow of the well?

And who are the two men, one sort of like the boy's father - the other tall in a hat. Having read Kafka on the shore, I got chills thinking it was foreshadowing of Johnny Walker - especially if the body was that of a cat

Spoiler:

I always thought it was Cinnamon. I assumed the reason he no longer talked was because a large portion of him got stuck in that world. Thus getting back in bed and seeing that he was already there.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Spoiler:

Yeah, definitely Cinnamon. The morning muteness + the appearance of his Wind Up Bird Chronicles on the computer confirm that for me.

[Alex]

Ok, finished it today. I have to spend a bit of time processing it but I absolutely loved the first part and, and first consideration anyway, found the last act pretty lame (from the appearance of Nutmeg on). Kind of like a weaker Stephen King novel.