Reading the Chunksters discussion

This thread is for discussion of the final chapters of Book 3, 23-31, and the book as a whole. Discussion is scheduled to take place April 29-May 5.

Final thoughts on the book in its entirety are welcome!

I finished the book early. Odd reading experience. Murakami kept the pages turning. At times, I read 100+ pages in a sitting. I was enthralled. I've no idea of a theme, a message, nothing. All I have is this: In our world today, there is good and bad but that's just us defining things. In another world, good might be bad, etc. And maybe it's best these world's don't meet. I THINK the old lady in the 2nd world had a mission: to impact our side with her side, infecting us. She is sort of a coronavirus of sorts.

Just finished! So yeah, there is a lot to think about in this book, but at the moment I’m not sure what it all means.

I found that this last section, along with the previous section, made up for my initial waning interest at the beginning to the middle of book 3. And as much as the various threads could be wrapped up (even if I don’t know what they mean), I found the ending very satisfying. I think I would have screamed if Aomame and Tengo had not actually met, but boy, Murakami sure left it until the very end!

I felt bad for Ushikawa’s end, he and his big misshapen head had grown on me. Lol. Even Tamaru was sad to have had “taken care of” him. Although he does play a part in the creation of a new air chrysalis, whatever that actually means.

I liked the reincarnation theme regarding Kumi and Tengo’s mother, and how she was a comfort to him during his father’s cremation.

And the persistent mysterious NHK fee collector still has me scratching my head. I guess that must have been Tengo’s father, but why? What did that all mean? Even though I closed the book feeling satisfied, I’m also left with a lot of questions!

Linda wrote: "I felt bad for Ushikawa’s end, he and his big misshapen head had grown on me. Lol. Even Tamaru was sad to have had “taken care of” him. Although he does play a part in the creation of a new air chr..."

Yes, same here. I liked reading it. I have to assume that an 'air chrysalis' is an idea/thought brought into the real world. The guard dog had to go, the little people make a chrysalis to feed the dog, dog explodes. Maybe this book is about a virus.

Well I have learned that a good ending can make all the difference sometimes. I think I would have even liked the ending to be a little more abrupt with t and a on the freeway right looking at the single moon in the sky. But otherwise, it was the perfect way to end a simple and dreamlike book.

That would have made a great ending Marie!