Reading the Chunksters discussion

For discussion of chapters 10-13.

I haven't started this section yet, but I just realized that tomorrow is the 21st and our reading schedule says Jan 15-21st.

Chapter 13 gets us halfway through Book 1. We meet, through Aomame, the dowager (and her bodyguard). She provides shelter from some storms (and "jobs" for Aomame). We also meet Ayumi, a promiscuous policewoman. We also learn about Aomame's dead best friend.

Tengo gets a long train ride with Fuka-Eri, learning she can't read either, probably due to dyslexia. Tengo spends Sunday with the old Professor, her guardian, and gets permission to do the re-write.

We learn about Fuka-Eri's parents, and the commune/cults, which starts to loosely tie events and people.

While we are getting quite a cast of characters - Murakami is careful to introduce one at a time. We meet each new character through one of our leading characters. Much like Trollope (with sex), Murakami is careful to keep the reader on track, dealing with complex relationships with a surface smoothness.

All our odd ducks are paddling furiously underwater as they move along.

So curiouser and curiouser. Do others read it that Aomame is the girl from the Society of Witnesses (which reads like a representation of Jehovah's Witnesses) that Tengo remembers from school. It would provide a link between the two.

I thought that Aomame's response of completely decimating the room of Tamaki's rapist very interesting. It is a somewhat extreme response in terms of how/what people would usually do even in response to such a horrendous crime. I'd be interested to know how this fits with the rest of her childhood and who she was then, her experiences etc. However it does provide a clear ground for how she came to be killing other abusers.

I'm really quite enjoying this book. I try to remind myself periodically that this is all in Japan. My imagination often defaults to imagining the story within a framework/city etc that is closer to home and I then try to re-envision the characters, setting etc accordingly.

I just finished up a library book that was due soon, so I'm now back to reading this and just started this section. Hopefully I will make headway this weekend and get all caught up.

I also thought that Aomame may be the girl from the society of witnesses. I am wondering when we will learn more where her willingness to perpetrate such violence comes from. The death of Tamaki plays a role. But I wondered about more.

Thanks for typing up that recap, Dan.

Yes, so I also thought that Aomame was the girl from the Witness society.

And yeah, Aomame’s response to Tamaki’s rape was extreme and not a normal way to handle it. I agree that there’s got to be something that happened in her past that caused her to have that pent up inside her, and I’m guessing it has something to do with why she decided to leave her parents and go live with her uncle. That’s quite a big decision to make when one is only in the fifth grade.

I’m also curious about Aomame’s inability to remember what happened in the hotel room, if it was simply over drinking or if she had been drugged for some reason.

Not being vulnerable is a high priority to Aomame. I also wondered if she had been drugged, and I'm not sure Ayumi is who she says she is. Just striking up a conversation with a contract killer and then Aomame has a blackout. Hmmm ...

I note that Aomame and Tengo's childhoods were quite similar, and yes I do think Aomame is the same girl. Holding Tengo's hand with great force was the giveaway for me.

Xan Shadowflutter wrote: "I'm not sure Ayumi is who she says she is. Just striking up a conversation with a contract killer and then Aomame has a blackout. Hmmm ..."

Oh, I hadn't thought of that possibility. Interesting to keep in mind.

Aomame's childhood religion is very similar to Jehovah's Witnesses. The same beliefs. I have had a few students' parents say if there is an accident - to refuse treatment. I never thought of it having a sect in the Orient. Very interesting.

I totally missed the connection between Aomame and the little girl that was in Tengo's class as a child. I was thinking that maybe there would be a connection between Tengo and Aomame because Tamaki had married someone that was in the same cult as Eri.

Then, I realized she does say that prayer at the end of chapter 13, but I still missed the connection between being the little girl in Tengo's class and Aomame moving in with her uncle.

I was also thinking Aomame was drugged that night she was out with the police officer. I'm very interested in finding out what really happened. Maybe Ayumi knows she has been killing these men and is doing her own personal investigation.

It is very interesting to read everyone's comments on this section even though I am still behind.