Much more accessible than other Murakami works I've read. It is a misleadingly simple plot that only comes to fruition with the character's self-realization. A great story depicting the loss of childhood friendship and the implications it can hold in someone's life.

Two favorite quotes:
"Some things in life are too complicated to explain in any language" (218).
"And really, does anybody know who they are? So why not be a completely beautiful vessel? The kind people want to entrust with precious belongings" (274).