One of the most popular novels by Murakami tells the story of a love triangle, in the centre of which is Tōru – a boy – everyman who cannot choose between a cheerful Midori and Naoko who struggles with her mental health. The book lacks magic realism typical for Murakami, instead there is death and a discovery of darker sides of life. The protagonist was forced to mature too early and this burden besmirches everything that he does. The unspoken regret and grief that has never been lived through are the leitmotivs of this book, still very popular all over the world.
The book is available also in Polish and in its original, Japanese edition.