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The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Book Two)
By Haruki Murakami
(Vintage, Paperback, 9780679775430, 1998, 624pp.)

This post shares my thoughts on book two. If you are reading along with me and have not finished book two, save this post for later as it may contain spoilers.

In a nutshell, what takes place in book two?

A lot happens in book two. Kumiko goes missing and we find out why. Toru has a run-in with Noboru, Kumiko’s brother not the cat. Toru stands up for himself, for once. We learn more about Creta and it’s even more bizarre than what we initially thought! She’s a prostitute of the mind. I will let you ponder that one. Toru, in despair over Kumiko’s disappearance decides to spend some time in a dried up well. What he doesn’t expect though is that May will take it upon herself to see that he stays there. As Toru spends some time in the well, we learn more about the early years of his marriage. As a result of his time in the well, a mysterious black mark appears on Toru’s face. Creta tells her story of the rape and it’s not pretty. It involves the removal of organs or beings which caused a division of flesh and spirit. The end of book two does not end well for Toru and if you read between the lines, it’s clear that he’s becoming unglued.

Which part of book two did you enjoy the most?

The part that I enjoyed the most was actually the parts where Toru was in the well. This voluntary seclusion that turned into something else fascinated me. For one, I never expected May to do what she did. She’s always been a “go with the flow” kind of gal but I did not expect her to get involved in that way. Her power over Toru at that point made me very angry. I wanted to know where she was going with it, but at the same time, pulling up the ladder seemed like a bratty, childish thing to do and I wondered if she had any point at all in doing what she did.

With his hunger and extreme thirst, his time in the well is spent hallucinating but as a reader, you’re never sure of what’s imaginary and what’s real. I was riveted to the page during this part of the story. I felt as if everything meant something so I read carefully, trying to discern the meaning behind every little thing.

Each chapter has a unique title. Which title is your favorite so far?

“The Story of the Monkeys of the Shitty Island” but, I have to tell you “No Good News in This Chapter” is a close second. Some have expressed their frustration with the chapter titles but I’ve been using them to go back to parts of the book and with them being so unique, I find them a big help when trying to find something.

What if your favorite quote in book two?

I have several but this is the one I remembered to write down:

A certain kind of shittiness, a certain kind of stagnation, a certain kind of darkness, goes on propagating itself with its own power in its own self-contained cycle. And once it passes a certain point, no one can stop it–even if the person himself wants to stop it. (Wind-Up, page 202).

What is the significance of Kumiko’s abortion?

Toru explains that they weren’t ready for a baby and left the decision up to Kumiko, but I can’t help but think that the “abortion” is somehow related to Creta’s defilement by Noboru. The removal of self, the division of flesh and spirit. Perhaps this is when Kumiko became the bloodless, robot that I consider her to be??

Kumiko’s letter is an explanation of why she did what she did, but do you buy it?

Kumiko is frustrating in many ways. She’s very reserved and detached. Almost robot-like. Her letter to Toru is wrought with feeling, but it doesn’t come across as genuine to me. I think there is more going on with her disappearance than what she lets on. This part of the story remains a mystery to me.

Without commenting on book three, what do you make of the mark on Toru’s cheek?

In my mind, he’s transforming into his “other” self or his other self is coming out. This theme of re-birth seems to be rearing its head all over. May suddenly gets motivated to go back to school, Creta moves from numbness into her 3rd self and now Toru’s act of violence on the guitar guy leads to a horrible dream about skin overtaking him.

For fun, make a prediction on what happened to Noboru the cat. Where is he? What happened to him?

It’s possible that we’ll never know but another blogger did mention that she seemed to recall finding out in book three but she read it so long ago she couldn’t remember. The well seems too obvious. It’s also strange that the cat is named after Kumiko’s brother. My guess, and I am sure I am way off, is that Noboru IS the cat. That his other self is feline.

Anything else you want to add?

I found book two to be much more interesting but at the same time, it was harder to keep straight. I found myself going back to my notes quite a bit. I think we are at the point now where what happens in one book will also be mentioned in books two and three so keeping them all straight might be more difficult.

Your turn!

What do YOU think so far? If you want to comment, add a comment to this post or use the hashtag below to find us on Twitter. If you did a write-up on your blog, use Mister Linky below to add a link to it. You can also click on the Mister Linky button to view the links that everyone has posted thus far.

You do not need to comment at all if you don’t want to! Next up, book three and we have until May 12th to finish it. Thanks for reading along!

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This week has been a blur. In one sense, it has gone quickly but in another… slow as molasses! The Boy is still causing me grief and I have a patch of gray hair to prove it. Seriously, this patch showed up overnight. You can’t see it unless I pull my hair back but The Girl was kind enough to point it out to me. God love her.

As we roll into May, things do not die down. Instead, they pick up. The Girl was asked to join honors chorus. The only downside is that rehearsals are from 4-5pm, which makes it difficult for a working parent. The challenges never end but it’s just six rehearsals and a final show so it’s a short-term thing. I think we can make it work.

Beauty and the Beast is coming along. The Boy is becoming, ahem, transforming into Lumiere as I type. The French accent, the walking around with forearms help upward, the singing, the dancing…it’s all coming together. We haven’t seen the costume yet but it’s rented and apparently has the torches and everything built in. However, I don’t think the theatre will allow the use of propane so we’ll see how they handle the effect. Plus, The Boy wears glasses so we need to get him some contacts for the show. Wouldn’t it be funny if Lumiere wore some cool, hipster eyeglasses? Okay, I guess not.

Bryan Batt as Lumiere
Photo Credit: bryanbatt.com

In addition to the show coming up, The Boy is wrapping up track season with a few more races and the banquet. Then there is his choir banquet, then they both have a cast party for the last show (Music Man), May and June will be very busy before it begins to slow down again. The Girl had wanted to try out for swim team this summer, but it conflicts with her summer camp field trips, which are both offered through the city. You’d think they’d consider this when scheduling.

As for me, I’ve been feeling a little down. The events in Boston, followed by the tragedy in Texas and the fact that I am a complete and utter news junkie, meant that I was glued to the TV and/or computer while the entire thing unfolded. I can’t tell you how sad it made me to see Boston fall off the trend list on Twitter after just TWO days. Terrible things happen, people move on. Sigh.

On a happier note, and probably what’s kept me somewhat grounded through all this crazy, is the #winditup2013 read-along. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle continues to be a very interesting read and reading it with others has been an enjoyable experience. We are about to roll into book three, the final book, and right now the story could go anywhere. One of the participants described it as being Twin Peaks-y and I agree. It’s a little bit of everything for sure.

We had some plans for this weekend but they’ve been nixed since The Boy is helping someone with a video shoot and I stupidly scheduled eye appointments right smack, in the middle of the day. Doesn’t leave enough time for a road trip so I’ll spend the weekend reading. I am not joining Dewey’s Read-a-Thon officially since I never have enough time to dedicate to it, but for my reading buddies who DO participate, enjoy!