Nächste Station: Japan

Knochensplitter hat mir wahnsinnig gefallen. Es war zwar natürlich gewöhnungsbedürftig, von all den Leichen und Knochen und Madenbefall zu lesen, es war aber trotzdem auch eine gute Einführung in dieses Thema.

In der Straßenbahn heute am späten Nachmittag werde ich dann nach Japan (und später nach Griechenland) reisen:

Haruki MURAKAMI
Sputnik Sweetheart

Amazon.uk-Review: The narrator, a teacher, is in love with the beguiling, odd Sumire. As his best friend, she is not adverse to phoning at three or four in the morning to ask a pointless question or share a strange thought. Sumire, though, is in love with a beautiful, older woman, Miu, who does not, can not, return her affections. Longing for Sumire, K (that is all we are told by way of a name) finds some comfort in a purely sexual relationship with the mother of one of his pupils. But the consolation is slight. K is unhappy. Miu and Sumire, now working together, take a business trip to a Greek Island. Something happens, he is not told what, and so K travels to Greece to see what help he can offer.
Themes of love, loss, sexuality, identity and selfhood are all interrogated, woven into a compelling, romantic, serious and sometimes sad book. It is a disarmingly simple, hugely satisfying, intelligent and moving work and one of Murakami's best. Simplicity, sprinkled with a dose of his magic, has enabled Murakami to write candidly, succinctly and beautifully about the complications and difficulties of love and loving.