The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Haruki Murakami

Book 2, Chapter 4
Divine Grace Lost / Prostitute of the Mind

In Lt. Mamiya's letter he describes not being able to find or make contact with the image in the light as being worse than the hunger and thirst he experiences after two days in that dry well. The idea that not being able to fully be one with ones own consciousness as the ultimate suffering in intriguing to me. The quest for self-knowledge permeates this novel, and this is yet another example of it.

After as Toru ponders his life, he realizes he has done nothing meaningful. I wonder, what is meaningful? I don't know, and I don't think Toru knows exactly either.

Again, we have our narrator holding someone - someone who isn't his wife. I feel like these events are entirely lacking in sexual overtones. It seems like the women, first his workmate and now Creta Kano, have a need for physical contact because they are so isolated. In this story, it seems everyone is isolated. I do not know if I am expressing myself clearly but hopefully you know what I mean!

Any thoughts?

I think a lot of people have this feeling of having done nothing really important with their lives.

Maybe this is especially important for Toru in his culture.

About the isolation . . . I don't really get any sense of 'depth' in these people that become connected with Toru, if that's what you mean.

The sex seems like something outlined on the back of a generic package - his descriptions sound like he copied them from something else.

The only really good sexual part is when he goes to that lady's office, the young man puts those goggles on him, and he ejaculates in his pants.

That was really 'interesting'.