On The Wind-up Bird Chronicle:

I finished Wind-up late two nights ago. And instead of feeling out of sorts, as I often do at the end of long, good reads, I felt satisfied, like I'd just had a great dinner, and I had eaten the right amount.

My favorite character is May Kasahara who is kind of a reflection for the Wind-up Bird, and a soul center for the novel. Like the tennis player in Royal Tenenbaums. Nothing hangs on her but, she's sort of the background singer that makes the whole thing come together. All of my favorite scenes involve her. May tallying up bald men, May in the moonlight. Dark May covering the well with a malicious echoing whisper.

I do not think Murakami knew who she would become when he created her. She starts out as a creepy sixteen year old girl with dark secrets and a great tan, but when she opens up, she morphs into this girl in a great deal of pain and no sense of direction. The whole tenor of the novel changes when Mr. Wind-up gets marked by the well. And May leaves, having been healed by him, and starts to write these incredible, thoughtful, heart-examining letters. Hopeful and young and lovely. It's very read-between-the-lines-y, her healing, her growing into her self, her acceptance of her own soul. It's my favorite thing about Murakami, making me feel particular ways without having to say too much, without hitting me over the head with concepts. Don't get me wrong, his flights into the bizarre are pretty damn cool, there's an incredible energy behind it, but I feel like I get so close to his characters, who are often so incredibly beautiful, lonely, and human. I don't really care what his characters are doing, they could be playing pingpong for 250 pages, I just want to hear their voices.