The third Murakami novel that I have read, after Norwegian Wood and Sputnik Sweetheart. It has left me divided on Murakami as a writer. This book was intriguing, but also graphic and disconcerting. I can't tell whether it jarred because of the translation, or if this was a deliberate stylistic effect. I'd recommend reading either of Norwegian Wood or Sputnik Sweetheart, and I will be moving onto the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle next, as that book does get more plaudits than Kafka on the Shore.
