At about 1/3 of the way through, this book is still reading like an alternate and lesser version of The Wind Up Bird Chronicle to me. Haruki is very hit or miss with me, this one was a miss. 

I also feel really uncomfortable with the narrator talking about his sister’s developing breasts and how consistently objectified all women are in his books. When he’s good, he’s great. When he’s not, he’s a misogynist.