Well... This was certainly interesting. It wasn't a bad read at all, but as someone who tends to have very objective interpretations of things, it was certainly a bit confusing, especially after Sumire's disappearance. I did read some explanations and accepted an interpretation, yet it still feels too metaphorical for me. It felt like being in a Portuguese class (my native tongue) at school, when trying to answer the interpretation questions right after you've read a text and being unable to answer, because all you can think about is "what did I just read?". Maybe I'm just dumb and lack enough imagination for what Murakami writes. However, I did have some fun reading it... Except when the narrator described pubic hairs too many times, like... Why?

This is a pretty simple story about three Japanese women belonging to the same family of three different generations - mother (Hana), daughter (Fumio) and granddaughter (Hanako) - going through life in the 20th century. Hana is extremely attached to tradition and patriarchal values of early 20th century Japan, while Fumio rebels against it all and Hanako is forced to the deal with the cultural and economical shift in Japan after World War II. Despite it's simplicity, I really enjoyed the story and writing. Though not extremely emotional, the author was able to convey what the characters went through with subtlety and a few concise words... Which feels very Japanese to me 😅 I really think it's amazing how much exposure about the Japanese culture and 20th century politics the author gives through the eyes of these characters in just about 200 pages. The only thing that felt lacking to me was the abrupt ending, I really was expecting a bit more closure around the end.