Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Questions

1) In Japan, the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was split into three separate volumes. Do you think that this work has one continuous voice or more than one voice? Should the novel been read as three or more separate pieces.
2) The Japanese literati have often accused Murakami of writing in a non- Japanese style, ignoring Japanese culture etc. Do you agree with this? How would you describe his style?
3) Do you think that the use of newspaper clippings and letters add or subtract from the writing?
4) What genre(s) do you feel this book fits in?
5) How do you think that protagonist, Toru, adapts to the strange circumstances that keep happing to him? Do you find him naïve or just accepting of his fate?
6) What part do women play in this novel in particular May?
7) Why do Toru and Nobura Wataya dislike each other intensely? What exactly do you think is Wataya’s special power that is inferred throughout the novel?
8) How does what happened to the Japanese in World War II fit in this story? Does it work?
9) This book has been compared to Alice in Wonderland. Do you believe the characters are real or imagined? Who would be the white rabbit in this case?
10) What is the purpose of Toru’s scar? Why do you think Toru is chosen to possess such magical power? Do you think he possesses real powers, why or why not?
11) What role do animals play in this novel?
12) Are any parts of this book satirical?
13) Did you find the ending satisfactory? Did it answer the questions raised in the book?
14) Would you recommend this book to others? Why or Why not?