There were way too many loose ends with this book that pissed me off. You guys are worried about "who killed Shiro" but I'm here thinking about the aura sight ability thing and the piano playing guy and what was in the box on the piano 😭
I agree that it was Tsukuru's father but maybe something continuos and ongoing. In the end of the story it says he never knew his father that well--if he had a mistress. For me this also ties in with Sara who I think was the mistress of the 50 yr old man--there are not many 50 yr old bachelors and she always had expensive designer clothing--it makes sense that she was receiving gifts from him. Many people say Sara was going to reject Tsukuru, which maybe being an optimist I disagree with--that he blew it by calling her at 4 in the morning professing his love but I think she would be understanding of his emotionally tumultuous state of mind--she was the one who initiated everything by saying he was emotionally blocked and she gave him the ultimatum--so now that his emotions are excessive/flowing she's going to reject him? I don't think so. I think she was the mistress of the other man so that's not much of a longterm future--I think Tsukuru and Sara are primed to form a union. As for Tsukuru's father I think he may have been abusing/taking advantage of Yuzu for a long period of time. I think she was not lying when she said the name of her rapist. Also in Haida's story wasn't Tsukuru questioning if it was Haida's fathers story or Haida's--kind of introducing the idea that father could be mistaken for son?
Dude and that Tsukaru was shocked at the fact there were cigarettes at Shiros apartment. Tsukaru’s father died of lung cancer due to ... “smoking 50 cigarettes a day”
interesting but Tsukurus father didn't live in Tokyo, he lived in Ngoya. Shiro said that she was raped by h Tsukuru in Tokyo. My opinion is that it Was Tsukuru who raped Shiro! As like the Ending of the novel says, the sub conscience is a deep dark Tunnel, What Murakami wants to say in the Novel is that we ( humans) can never fully understand ourselves, like Tsukuru who went and met his friends to figure himself he still was confused in the rail station as he was in the start of the quest. But still HE got an Idea what he needed to do just the problem was that it depended on those 3 days of waiting.
Oh my god, that's not how the book is? Shiro didn't love tsukuru, kuro did. And tsukuru loved shiro, in a sense. That's why the rape accusation was on him because she knew he loved her. Kuro never said there was no point in apologizing. She said she /couldn't/ face him anymore due to the heavy guilt. Kuro loved Tsukuru but had to choose Shiro, so she's dealing with that guilt too. Sara is much more important to the story than you potrayed. Tsukuru doesn't track his friends, Sara does. I don't know why the plot lines were changed in the video..
I know you commented such a long time back, but I wanted to say that you are absolutely right. I just finished the book yesterday and that's how I remember very well that the facts you listed are true.
@@prakhargupta1216i finished yesterday too, and now make sense my mother language is brazilian so when i listened him saying this i got so confuse, i found this video because i'm searching for the answers about the piano guy i'm thinking maybe was his finger in excess but i wanna know if have more things like white having more fingers or something like this
Shiro wasn't in love with Tsukuru, Kuro was. Either Ao or Aka was the one who suggested that maybe Shiro made the accusation because she liked him, which Kuro debunked.
The killer has to be Tsukarus father. When Tsukaru found out there were cigarettes at Shiros apartment he was shocked that she would ever smoke, but as we know: Tsukaru’s father died of lung cancer as he would “smoke 50 cigarettes a day”
I didn't get the idea that Tsukuru has the same name with his father when i read the book. I don't think it's explicitly written. But I agree with your theory that his father might sexually assaulted Shiro. Afterall, she was the introvert beautiful young girl that everybody loved and it's also supported by her statement that the abuser has same features with Tsukuru, only it is the dark side of him. Now i know why Murakami's books are applauded a lot. Thanks for your explanation!
Yes it was a good theory, but I actually think that shiro had a mental illness, as her lifestyle and the shift in her patterns and behaviour would indicate that too. She did get raped by someone and then when she didn't feel like she had control or didn't know who did it, she blamed Tsukaru as she might have felt dejected after he didn't return her feelings, so to avoid feeling like that, she blamed him, as a 'proof' that he really liked her and so forcefully even had sex with her. I also would like to think that shiro was being stalked by someone but I am neither sure nor adamant on that
Wait wait, but why do you suppose Haida was depressed and killed himself? I didn't get that impression, I kinda just thought that maybe he'd done the same thing his father did when he was his age: he decided to spend some time wandering around Japan but by the time he enrolled again in university Tsukuru had already graduated, so they lost track of each other. As to why he wouldn't tell Tsukuru about this decision, I have no idea.
I think what happened on "that" night between Haida and Tsukuru is part of reality, and Haida was dissappointed because Tsukuru never mentioned about what happened on "that" night. That's why Haida decided that he had to cut ties with Tsukuru.
This has to be my favorite Murakami book so far. It is my 5th one this year (and so far). I expected it to be a repetition of what I read earlier in the year (Kafka on the shore, Norwegian Wood, After Dark, The wind up bird chronicles) but this was something that touched me a lot more and i loved how there was not a lot of magical realism involved.
Oh wow. Never thought about Tsukurus father killing Shiro but it makes so much sense. My thoery was that Haida killed her when he disappeared for 2 weeks even though it doesnt make much sense. He introduced Tsukuru to the piano piece that Shiro played (Le mal du pays) so thats what made me suspect that they somehow knew each other.
I find it strange how Tsukuru Tazaki was having dreams about raping Shiro (even before he discovered that Shiro accused him of rape). As well as how he dreamt that he came in that college's friend's mouth (before that friend abruptly stopped attending classes). Especially with how vivid those dreams were... It made me really suspicious of Tazaki.
I’m sorry but. I just finished the book last night and there’s a couple things I have to point out: (obviously, spoilers below) 1) Shiro WAS actually raped. This is confirmed by Kuro in Finland when she tells Tsukuru that Shiro became pregnant from her sexual assault, Kuro having accompanied her to a gynecologist who confirmed it. She tried to keep the baby but ended up losing it naturally. 2) The theory that Tsukuru’s father was the culprit is quite an interesting one, and towards the end, Tsukuru even mentions that he thinks his father had some sort of affair. But his father’s name is not Tsukuru, it’s Toshio Tazaki, and Shiro was very adamant that Tsukuru Tazaki was the rapist. 3) In my opinion it’s important to point out that Shiro didn’t die at the same time of her rape. She was raped one day, and then murdered years later. It is possible that Aka was the one to kill her, as he even travelled to met her in person some months before her death, and presumably knew her address and was somebody she would open the door to. 4) It’s not actually confirmed that Shiro was in love with Tsukuru, although this is very much within the realm of possibility. Someone who WAS in love with Tsukuru was Kuro, which she tells him about in Finland. It would be interesting to explore that too, since it was very hard for her to exile him from the group
Yeah, but why would Aka mention the meeting with Yuzu during the conversation with Tsukuru if he actually killed her? Would you say that if you were the killer?
First of all, I'm not a native English speaker so my English is bad. For my opinion, I think the Shiro's death is related to Haida's story. It's the answer. Tsukuru loves Shiro, that's why he has sexual dream about her. Kuro loves Tsukuru. Shiro doesn't love Tsukuru, she's a sensitive person and she can feel the bad future, the group is honestly unbalanced. The group will separate one day. She knows that Tsukuru is the one that everyone likes in group and she will be the person who will be left behind. Haida is the non-existent person. He maybe a reflection of Tsukuru himself. In the edge of depression, insecure and fear, Tsukuru met him. Just like Shiro. When she feel the most insecure, she meet the a real person who looks like Tsukuru - the person she's haunted about - but in fact he looks nothing like Tsukuru at all. That person raped her. In the end, after a long time of depression, the depression itself killed her - not any one else.
I disagree that this is a Murakami novel that really breaks the mold. Namely, it has a lot of the same elements that drive most Murakami novels: a main protagonist that's driven forward by the plot without much agency of his own and flat female characters that are in love with or attracted to the main character. It's interesting to a point, but it felt half-baked compared to some of his more well known work. You also kind of skimmed over the most interesting element of the novel, his relationship with Haida that mysteriously ends without any closure. The novel also has a few supernatural elements to it that bend towards the magical realism that Murakami is known for. There's the story Haida's father tells about the man who can see the color of people's auras, the spot on Tsuku's back, and the strange, vivid sex dreams he's been having about Shiro and Kuru. The novel doesn't go as far into the realm of unreality as say, Kafka on the Shore, but it isn't 100% grounded in reality either.
That’s what I thought. Kuro was in love with Tsukuru, not Shiro. In the Book, Tsukuru asks “Was Yuzu ever attracted to me?”, and Eri (Kuro) responds, “No, she wasn’t. Yuzu (Shiro) was never interested in anyone of the opposite sex.”
It hadn’t even occurred to me that shiro was talking about tsukuru’s father. For some reason, I was thinking she had strangled herself or some rando just assaulted her. Also, I didn’t think Sara was acting as a partner for this older man, I honestly thought the twist would be that it was her father or something. Granted, she never talked about her life, but still, I honestly thought she would be like ‘dude that’s my dad/grandpa’
Interesting points. I really didn't think about it honestly. I was actually more drawn to the theme of separation without justification. It resonated in me so much because I know how it really felt. It was so real. Personally, the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger which I think sucks. Nevertheless, it's really a book that feels so "alive."
It certainly rang true. Also, those endings are common for Murakami. You often have to take a step back and say, "What the hell just happened?" It takes a little for everything to settle.
Wow, I definitely lean more towards Shiro's murderer being someone outside the story, but you got me thinking about the possibility of Aka being guilty. I don't think he raped Shiro, but what if he did kill her? Considering Aka is gay, maybe he had feelings for Tsukuru back when they were teenagers. Remember how much Kuro said it hurt cutting Tsukuru off precisely because she liked him? Perhaps Aka felt the same way, it hurt too much not being able to see or talk with Tsukuru ever again and ended up resenting Shiro because of it. Now, Aka knew Shiro was living alone in Hamamatsu, he probably knew where she lived. Also, given the fact that the killer didn't force the entrance of Shiro's apartment, I'm inclined to think she was murdered by someone she knew, someone she would willingly open the door of her apartment for. That someone could very well have been Aka, who had already visited her in Hamamatsu once and whom she felt safe around. There's also Aka's rather dry reaction when Tsukuru brought up Shiro's death. Tsukuru attributed this to Aka already having processed her death since it's been six years, but what if it was just Aka not actually feeling bad about Shiro dying because she was the reason he lost Tsukuru. (I know this is all a little bit far-fetched, I'm just theorizing here, I don't really think Aka killed her. Like Kuro, I think Aka is actually a good person).
Maybe Shiro wanted to stop living and asked Aka to kill her or something? Like he saw it as a mercy death of sorts? Because Aka was all about making choices even if they were painful, he emphasized that he feels that is what it means to live. Also, what Kuro(Eri) said about Aka actually being a good person but wanting to convince himself and everyone else that he is not a good person. Aka asks Tsukuru if Tsukuru thinks of him as a bad person, maybe Aka wanted to be known deep down, felt that even if he was playing a part someone else knew that he was playing a part and acknowledged it, even if it wasn't Aka himself. Maybe in their harmonious community, Tsukuru was that person for Aka, who saw Aka as a person and not as the facade or act that Aka put up. The being empty or colourless gets brought up often about Tsukuru, but then many times people say that it is kind of a superpower, maybe because Tsukuru doesn't expect anything of people and gets to know them without any preconceived biases. Also maybe Tsukuru's quieter, more accepting demeanour is literally that...it makes him more accepting, so other people get drawn to him. Maybe as you said, Aka missed that about Tsukuru because everyone else forms opinions of Aka and Aka is already in a place of self-loathing. Also Tsukuru is the one person Aka chooses to tell about his sexuality. I don't know if I feel Aka was in love with Tsukuru but I feel Aka had some sort of a special dependence or connection with Tsukuru. Maybe they all had a special dependence on Tsukuru...this is just me rambling now. I read the book just yesterday and read it through the night and was done with it a few hours ago so my mind is a little muddled and I there are a lot of things swirling in my head. Thank you for the video, A.G !!
I don't usually watch videos like this (not really my style), however I'm here to support you, and I actually really enjoyed your video as it was made well and was engaging. Keep up the great work!
What about Haida? It unsettles me that college thing, that he told Tsukuru he was going to be out of school, but he didnt return. Also, when Tsukuru was told that Haida declared a leave of abscene, and he just left without even saying bye to tskuru. There is something darker about this, and I want to find out what is it.
It’s a common thing in Murakami novels for a seeming important character to disappear. Storm trooper left and did not return either in. Norwegian Wood.
@@agmacdonald Yes, It's my first Murakami and that book sparked my love for the author. Kafka actually came closed in second place in just a hair-strand. Then, Sputnik.
@@agmacdonald I guess it is I've read Afterdark first and even tho I wouldn't consider it my favourite Murakami book, I still have completely different feelings connected to it. Not comparable to other Books I've read from him.
Great video ! I m a big Murakami fan but I didn't like that book so much, I just finished it today by the way haha. But now that I ve watched your video your theory about the killer is so interesting and makes sense. This gives so much more depth to the book ! That s a shame the nuances of names cannot be translated properly in foreign languages.
I find that Murakami books get better when you look back on them. Sometimes when you initially finish them they don't seem finished, until you look back on all the small details.
How convenient that you uploaded this after i have finished the book a week ago. Besides the shiro theory, what about the haida storyline and the dream? It was kinda cut of in the middle.
Yeah, I think the dream was interesting because it I think it represents the aftermath of this kind of exclusionary behaviour. When isolated, you start to believe that you could be responsible when you weren't. It's almost like gaslighting.
If you interpret the name Haida as a transcription into Japanese (ハイダ), it could stand for (Mr.) Hyde, a dark reflection of the state Tsukuru is in himself. And yes, I know that Haida is written differently in the Japanese original, but the phonetic closeness is there (and writing it in Katakana might have been a bit too obvious...).
I read this theory about Haida being mr. grey, and then the story about he 6th finger and how pianist don’t need it because it gets in the way. So the circle was already 5, and Haida had no place to fit in he just got in the way. The Piano and the Music are what ties the circle, especially Tsukuru, Eri and Yuzu together. The dream is a bit weird, but Tsukuru, as Eri said, was more attracted to Yuzu. The only thing that I don’t understand is the story that Haida told Tsukuru. Was he testing Tsukuru out to see if he is interested in taking that token, therefore saying that Haida had the token, and he disappeared because, well he couldn’t find anyone to give it to? It felt like Haida wanted to think about everything freely which kind of goes with the story about the token.
I am sorry to say this but i find the comment and narration of the story’s far better than reading the actual book. Thank you ppl. If the culprit is his father than i got my closure. In HM’s book ending is alws weird. I think the killer is colorless Tsukuru himself. May be he did things in dreams and it actually happen in other side.
WOW. I love Murakami’s books.Thank you A G for your wonderful reviews. Murakami books are difficult for american readers because we are not spiritual people. I went to medical school and was trained to discount anything that could not be explained by scientific method and mathematics. Magical Realism allows me to enjoy and see that the spiritual world is what really matters. All people have value. Trees, cats, music, and all creation have spiritual energy. THANKS A. G.
I actually haven't read Norwegian Wood yet, but I have a deep dive series on Kafka on the Shore. It's the more complicated/bizarre of the two. I'm sure both are amazing in their own way.
I think main theme of dis book is abt self doubt tazaki has always had a self doubt weather Sara would accept him or not, as becoz he always thought he could give little to her comparing to others ,even though ERI boosts up his confidence by saying don't get bad elves get u ,it means she is conveying dat ,dnt let self soubt kill u ,he always thinks of the 50 year old person who is wid Sara is a best person to her ,he thinks she is happy with her ,nd she won't b dat happy wid him ,I think writer of the book wants to say dat no matter wat the situation is learn to handle it, as tazagi handled the situation when four of his friends left him ,by joining gym ,swimming ,changing his personality making new friends like Haida...and at last tazaki said dat ,once upon a time they truly believed in sumthing and that they are kind of people capable of believing in sumthing with their whole heart ,,but atlast he doubts himself once he revisit their friends and he says not everything will b lost in flow of time ....main theme is ,self doubt and isolation can kill u ...try to change ur thinking, and learn to handle the situations like,, if one u love d most rejects u ,even no matter how hard u work for success, but atlast if u face failure, learn how to handle d situations .
tsukuru's father being the culprit seems viable because in end of the book, it's mentioned that tsukuru never got to get too close to his father because he was always busy with work, and now in retrospect he thinks maybe his father did have a mistress he liked spending time with. Therefore if that's true it suggests that the character (tsukuru's father) wasn't quite moral.
I bought this book to read a few days ago, thinking it was one of the few murakami books I hadn't read. As I was reading, I realised I had read it and gave me a sense of nostalgia...how weird that a brilliant book was effectively erased from my brain! Whereas his other books like wind up bird chronicles and Kafka on the shore etched into my mind
I've just finished reading the book. Yeah, you've made an interesting assumption about the person who did it to Shiro. I didn't particular like the ending of the book, because it remained unclear if they stayed together with Sara or not. Overall, thank you for your review, it was nice to hear your thoughts.
You got a video or plans to do one on 1Q84? Seriously I cannot find any videos or posts that work to dissect it. Opinions on it are mixed so there's more discussion on that. I enjoyed your analysis on this one and Kafka on the Shore so I'd love to hear your thoughts on that one. I would also understand if you don't know, or rather don't want to read 1000 pages if you haven't hah.
I have plans for it, but not in the near future. I have an 11 episode deep dive into Kafka on the Shore coming up the next few months. Perhaps when that is done, I might move onto 1Q84. 😊
I just finished the book. I liked his flow and rhythm and actually after a certain point the book was so thrilling I could stop reading it. Alas, reaching the end of the book, I saw that the sub-plots were not resolved and also there was not a deeper critical or philosophical meaning to support their existence, if later on they were not developed as part of the main story. I was expecting that there would be a resolution at the end, bringing together all the unsolved "mysteries" created. I guess there must be a follow up in the works, because otherwise I would be rather disappointed.
If it Tsukuru father who rape shiro, thempn it all make sense ,, he rape her in Tsukuru apartment, and somehow the room projecting the rape incident that why Tsukuru always has that dream 😢
@@agmacdonald thnx, I am reading the book on danish and it turns out that there are less pages in danish translation of the book than the english version. But I will try to find the quote and see it from there :)
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There were way too many loose ends with this book that pissed me off. You guys are worried about "who killed Shiro" but I'm here thinking about the aura sight ability thing and the piano playing guy and what was in the box on the piano 😭
reiko‘s pinky finger from norwegian wood
I agree that it was Tsukuru's father but maybe something continuos and ongoing. In the end of the story it says he never knew his father that well--if he had a mistress. For me this also ties in with Sara who I think was the mistress of the 50 yr old man--there are not many 50 yr old bachelors and she always had expensive designer clothing--it makes sense that she was receiving gifts from him. Many people say Sara was going to reject Tsukuru, which maybe being an optimist I disagree with--that he blew it by calling her at 4 in the morning professing his love but I think she would be understanding of his emotionally tumultuous state of mind--she was the one who initiated everything by saying he was emotionally blocked and she gave him the ultimatum--so now that his emotions are excessive/flowing she's going to reject him? I don't think so. I think she was the mistress of the other man so that's not much of a longterm future--I think Tsukuru and Sara are primed to form a union. As for Tsukuru's father I think he may have been abusing/taking advantage of Yuzu for a long period of time. I think she was not lying when she said the name of her rapist. Also in Haida's story wasn't Tsukuru questioning if it was Haida's fathers story or Haida's--kind of introducing the idea that father could be mistaken for son?
Interesting interpretation. I like it.
Dude and that Tsukaru was shocked at the fact there were cigarettes at Shiros apartment. Tsukaru’s father died of lung cancer due to ... “smoking 50 cigarettes a day”
interesting but Tsukurus father didn't live in Tokyo, he lived in Ngoya. Shiro said that she was raped by h Tsukuru in Tokyo. My opinion is that it Was Tsukuru who raped Shiro! As like the Ending of the novel says, the sub conscience is a deep dark Tunnel, What Murakami wants to say in the Novel is that we ( humans) can never fully understand ourselves, like Tsukuru who went and met his friends to figure himself he still was confused in the rail station as he was in the start of the quest. But still HE got an Idea what he needed to do just the problem was that it depended on those 3 days of waiting.
Oh my god, that's not how the book is? Shiro didn't love tsukuru, kuro did. And tsukuru loved shiro, in a sense. That's why the rape accusation was on him because she knew he loved her. Kuro never said there was no point in apologizing. She said she /couldn't/ face him anymore due to the heavy guilt. Kuro loved Tsukuru but had to choose Shiro, so she's dealing with that guilt too. Sara is much more important to the story than you potrayed. Tsukuru doesn't track his friends, Sara does. I don't know why the plot lines were changed in the video..
Moreover, she really was raped. There was a pregnancy, as kuro tells tsukuru when he visits her..
I know you commented such a long time back, but I wanted to say that you are absolutely right. I just finished the book yesterday and that's how I remember very well that the facts you listed are true.
@@prakhargupta1216i finished yesterday too, and now make sense my mother language is brazilian so when i listened him saying this i got so confuse, i found this video because i'm searching for the answers about the piano guy i'm thinking maybe was his finger in excess but i wanna know if have more things like white having more fingers or something like this
I just finished this before finding this video and stopped because sooo much of what was being said was just wrong.
Shiro wasn't in love with Tsukuru, Kuro was. Either Ao or Aka was the one who suggested that maybe Shiro made the accusation because she liked him, which Kuro debunked.
I have to admit, I haven't read this book in a couple of years, so I might have got a couple of the details a little fuzzy.
The killer has to be Tsukarus father. When Tsukaru found out there were cigarettes at Shiros apartment he was shocked that she would ever smoke, but as we know: Tsukaru’s father died of lung cancer as he would “smoke 50 cigarettes a day”
I didn't get the idea that Tsukuru has the same name with his father when i read the book. I don't think it's explicitly written. But I agree with your theory that his father might sexually assaulted Shiro. Afterall, she was the introvert beautiful young girl that everybody loved and it's also supported by her statement that the abuser has same features with Tsukuru, only it is the dark side of him. Now i know why Murakami's books are applauded a lot. Thanks for your explanation!
Thanks for checking out the video. It's definitely an interesting theory. Was this your first Murakami book? Which one do you plan on reading next?
From the book page 290: No, there was one other thing his father had left him. His name-Tsukuru Tazaki.
@@ykpebe it means that his father choose a name for him, not that he has same in my head
@@ykpebe his fathers name was Toshio Tazaki, it is mentioned in the book.
Your theory at the end makes so much sense
I mean, logically I still feel it's probably a nobody, but that last theory leaves me thinking.
A. G. Macdonald it makes the most sense to me
@@RKGold agreed.
Yes it was a good theory, but I actually think that shiro had a mental illness, as her lifestyle and the shift in her patterns and behaviour would indicate that too. She did get raped by someone and then when she didn't feel like she had control or didn't know who did it, she blamed Tsukaru as she might have felt dejected after he didn't return her feelings, so to avoid feeling like that, she blamed him, as a 'proof' that he really liked her and so forcefully even had sex with her. I also would like to think that shiro was being stalked by someone but I am neither sure nor adamant on that
You make some good points.
Wait wait, but why do you suppose Haida was depressed and killed himself? I didn't get that impression, I kinda just thought that maybe he'd done the same thing his father did when he was his age: he decided to spend some time wandering around Japan but by the time he enrolled again in university Tsukuru had already graduated, so they lost track of each other. As to why he wouldn't tell Tsukuru about this decision, I have no idea.
This is why I love Murakami. Everyone gets a different interpretation.
Yeah I dont remember anything about Haida being depressed
I think what happened on "that" night between Haida and Tsukuru is part of reality, and Haida was dissappointed because Tsukuru never mentioned about what happened on "that" night. That's why Haida decided that he had to cut ties with Tsukuru.
This has to be my favorite Murakami book so far. It is my 5th one this year (and so far). I expected it to be a repetition of what I read earlier in the year (Kafka on the shore, Norwegian Wood, After Dark, The wind up bird chronicles) but this was something that touched me a lot more and i loved how there was not a lot of magical realism involved.
While I think Kafka might be my favourite, but Tsukuru's story was amazing because it was such a departure from anything of his I read.
Oh wow. Never thought about Tsukurus father killing Shiro but it makes so much sense. My thoery was that Haida killed her when he disappeared for 2 weeks even though it doesnt make much sense. He introduced Tsukuru to the piano piece that Shiro played (Le mal du pays) so thats what made me suspect that they somehow knew each other.
I find it strange how Tsukuru Tazaki was having dreams about raping Shiro (even before he discovered that Shiro accused him of rape). As well as how he dreamt that he came in that college's friend's mouth (before that friend abruptly stopped attending classes). Especially with how vivid those dreams were... It made me really suspicious of Tazaki.
I’m sorry but. I just finished the book last night and there’s a couple things I have to point out: (obviously, spoilers below)
1) Shiro WAS actually raped. This is confirmed by Kuro in Finland when she tells Tsukuru that Shiro became pregnant from her sexual assault, Kuro having accompanied her to a gynecologist who confirmed it. She tried to keep the baby but ended up losing it naturally.
2) The theory that Tsukuru’s father was the culprit is quite an interesting one, and towards the end, Tsukuru even mentions that he thinks his father had some sort of affair. But his father’s name is not Tsukuru, it’s Toshio Tazaki, and Shiro was very adamant that Tsukuru Tazaki was the rapist.
3) In my opinion it’s important to point out that Shiro didn’t die at the same time of her rape. She was raped one day, and then murdered years later. It is possible that Aka was the one to kill her, as he even travelled to met her in person some months before her death, and presumably knew her address and was somebody she would open the door to.
4) It’s not actually confirmed that Shiro was in love with Tsukuru, although this is very much within the realm of possibility. Someone who WAS in love with Tsukuru was Kuro, which she tells him about in Finland. It would be interesting to explore that too, since it was very hard for her to exile him from the group
Yeah, but why would Aka mention the meeting with Yuzu during the conversation with Tsukuru if he actually killed her? Would you say that if you were the killer?
First of all, I'm not a native English speaker so my English is bad. For my opinion, I think the Shiro's death is related to Haida's story. It's the answer.
Tsukuru loves Shiro, that's why he has sexual dream about her. Kuro loves Tsukuru. Shiro doesn't love Tsukuru, she's a sensitive person and she can feel the bad future, the group is honestly unbalanced. The group will separate one day. She knows that Tsukuru is the one that everyone likes in group and she will be the person who will be left behind.
Haida is the non-existent person. He maybe a reflection of Tsukuru himself. In the edge of depression, insecure and fear, Tsukuru met him. Just like Shiro. When she feel the most insecure, she meet the a real person who looks like Tsukuru - the person she's haunted about - but in fact he looks nothing like Tsukuru at all. That person raped her. In the end, after a long time of depression, the depression itself killed her - not any one else.
I disagree that this is a Murakami novel that really breaks the mold. Namely, it has a lot of the same elements that drive most Murakami novels: a main protagonist that's driven forward by the plot without much agency of his own and flat female characters that are in love with or attracted to the main character. It's interesting to a point, but it felt half-baked compared to some of his more well known work.
You also kind of skimmed over the most interesting element of the novel, his relationship with Haida that mysteriously ends without any closure. The novel also has a few supernatural elements to it that bend towards the magical realism that Murakami is known for. There's the story Haida's father tells about the man who can see the color of people's auras, the spot on Tsuku's back, and the strange, vivid sex dreams he's been having about Shiro and Kuru. The novel doesn't go as far into the realm of unreality as say, Kafka on the Shore, but it isn't 100% grounded in reality either.
wasn't it kuro that was in love with tsukuru rather than shiro
They both were in love with him, and kuro still has a little feelings for him
you are right. and she thought Tsukuru was in love with Shiro
That’s what I thought. Kuro was in love with Tsukuru, not Shiro. In the Book, Tsukuru asks “Was Yuzu ever attracted to me?”, and Eri (Kuro) responds, “No, she wasn’t. Yuzu (Shiro) was never interested in anyone of the opposite sex.”
@@niyamitaliya3160 I doubt. I remember Kuro mentioning something about Shiro being asexual
It hadn’t even occurred to me that shiro was talking about tsukuru’s father. For some reason, I was thinking she had strangled herself or some rando just assaulted her. Also, I didn’t think Sara was acting as a partner for this older man, I honestly thought the twist would be that it was her father or something. Granted, she never talked about her life, but still, I honestly thought she would be like ‘dude that’s my dad/grandpa’
Interesting points. I really didn't think about it honestly. I was actually more drawn to the theme of separation without justification. It resonated in me so much because I know how it really felt. It was so real.
Personally, the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger which I think sucks. Nevertheless, it's really a book that feels so "alive."
It certainly rang true. Also, those endings are common for Murakami. You often have to take a step back and say, "What the hell just happened?" It takes a little for everything to settle.
Wow, I definitely lean more towards Shiro's murderer being someone outside the story, but you got me thinking about the possibility of Aka being guilty. I don't think he raped Shiro, but what if he did kill her? Considering Aka is gay, maybe he had feelings for Tsukuru back when they were teenagers. Remember how much Kuro said it hurt cutting Tsukuru off precisely because she liked him? Perhaps Aka felt the same way, it hurt too much not being able to see or talk with Tsukuru ever again and ended up resenting Shiro because of it. Now, Aka knew Shiro was living alone in Hamamatsu, he probably knew where she lived. Also, given the fact that the killer didn't force the entrance of Shiro's apartment, I'm inclined to think she was murdered by someone she knew, someone she would willingly open the door of her apartment for. That someone could very well have been Aka, who had already visited her in Hamamatsu once and whom she felt safe around. There's also Aka's rather dry reaction when Tsukuru brought up Shiro's death. Tsukuru attributed this to Aka already having processed her death since it's been six years, but what if it was just Aka not actually feeling bad about Shiro dying because she was the reason he lost Tsukuru. (I know this is all a little bit far-fetched, I'm just theorizing here, I don't really think Aka killed her. Like Kuro, I think Aka is actually a good person).
Maybe Shiro wanted to stop living and asked Aka to kill her or something? Like he saw it as a mercy death of sorts? Because Aka was all about making choices even if they were painful, he emphasized that he feels that is what it means to live. Also, what Kuro(Eri) said about Aka actually being a good person but wanting to convince himself and everyone else that he is not a good person. Aka asks Tsukuru if Tsukuru thinks of him as a bad person, maybe Aka wanted to be known deep down, felt that even if he was playing a part someone else knew that he was playing a part and acknowledged it, even if it wasn't Aka himself. Maybe in their harmonious community, Tsukuru was that person for Aka, who saw Aka as a person and not as the facade or act that Aka put up. The being empty or colourless gets brought up often about Tsukuru, but then many times people say that it is kind of a superpower, maybe because Tsukuru doesn't expect anything of people and gets to know them without any preconceived biases. Also maybe Tsukuru's quieter, more accepting demeanour is literally that...it makes him more accepting, so other people get drawn to him. Maybe as you said, Aka missed that about Tsukuru because everyone else forms opinions of Aka and Aka is already in a place of self-loathing. Also Tsukuru is the one person Aka chooses to tell about his sexuality. I don't know if I feel Aka was in love with Tsukuru but I feel Aka had some sort of a special dependence or connection with Tsukuru. Maybe they all had a special dependence on Tsukuru...this is just me rambling now. I read the book just yesterday and read it through the night and was done with it a few hours ago so my mind is a little muddled and I there are a lot of things swirling in my head. Thank you for the video, A.G !!
Great theory, I like that
I don't usually watch videos like this (not really my style), however I'm here to support you, and I actually really enjoyed your video as it was made well and was engaging. Keep up the great work!
Thank you. I'm flattered.
What about Haida? It unsettles me that college thing, that he told Tsukuru he was going to be out of school, but he didnt return. Also, when Tsukuru was told that Haida declared a leave of abscene, and he just left without even saying bye to tskuru. There is something darker about this, and I want to find out what is it.
It’s a common thing in Murakami novels for a seeming important character to disappear. Storm trooper left and did not return either in. Norwegian Wood.
My favorite Haruki Murakami book.
I loved this book, but I think Kafka on the Shore is still my favourite. It was my first. Just out of interest, was this your first Murakami?
@@agmacdonald Yes, It's my first Murakami and that book sparked my love for the author. Kafka actually came closed in second place in just a hair-strand. Then, Sputnik.
It's interesting because I wonder if everyone's favourite Murakami is the one they read first.
@@agmacdonald I guess it is I've read Afterdark first and even tho I wouldn't consider it my favourite Murakami book, I still have completely different feelings connected to it. Not comparable to other Books I've read from him.
Great video ! I m a big Murakami fan but I didn't like that book so much, I just finished it today by the way haha. But now that I ve watched your video your theory about the killer is so interesting and makes sense. This gives so much more depth to the book ! That s a shame the nuances of names cannot be translated properly in foreign languages.
I find that Murakami books get better when you look back on them. Sometimes when you initially finish them they don't seem finished, until you look back on all the small details.
@@agmacdonald So true. When I finish a Murakami I find it hard to start another one because I still think a lot about it
How convenient that you uploaded this after i have finished the book a week ago. Besides the shiro theory, what about the haida storyline and the dream? It was kinda cut of in the middle.
Yeah, I think the dream was interesting because it I think it represents the aftermath of this kind of exclusionary behaviour. When isolated, you start to believe that you could be responsible when you weren't. It's almost like gaslighting.
I really love Haida. Still thinking why he disappeared. Hope he is somewhere in mountain like his father
If you interpret the name Haida as a transcription into Japanese (ハイダ), it could stand for (Mr.) Hyde, a dark reflection of the state Tsukuru is in himself.
And yes, I know that Haida is written differently in the Japanese original, but the phonetic closeness is there (and writing it in Katakana might have been a bit too obvious...).
I read this theory about Haida being mr. grey, and then the story about he 6th finger and how pianist don’t need it because it gets in the way. So the circle was already 5, and Haida had no place to fit in he just got in the way. The Piano and the Music are what ties the circle, especially Tsukuru, Eri and Yuzu together. The dream is a bit weird, but Tsukuru, as Eri said, was more attracted to Yuzu. The only thing that I don’t understand is the story that Haida told Tsukuru. Was he testing Tsukuru out to see if he is interested in taking that token, therefore saying that Haida had the token, and he disappeared because, well he couldn’t find anyone to give it to? It felt like Haida wanted to think about everything freely which kind of goes with the story about the token.
though I know the main focus isn't on Tsukuru and Sara, i am quite upset when I didn't figure out the answer for
"will the relationship work or not?".
No explicitly getting answers is a trend in Murakami's books, but it's always done in a way that satisfies (at least for me😊).
Please review & explain The Wind-up bird chronicle 🌼🙂. I am reading it currently, absolutely loving it.....would love to hear it from you too.
I'll see what I can do.
Yess please love you to do that book.great murakami fan.read all his books. Also more banana hashimoto and keijo hirashino
I am sorry to say this but i find the comment and narration of the story’s far better than reading the actual book. Thank you ppl. If the culprit is his father than i got my closure. In HM’s book ending is alws weird. I think the killer is colorless Tsukuru himself. May be he did things in dreams and it actually happen in other side.
why did the book end so weirdly w/o clarifying what happened to Tsukuru and Sara??
WOW. I love Murakami’s books.Thank you A G for your wonderful reviews.
Murakami books are difficult for american readers because we are not spiritual people.
I went to medical school and was trained to discount anything that could not be explained by
scientific method and mathematics. Magical Realism allows me to enjoy and see that the spiritual
world is what really matters. All people have value. Trees, cats, music, and all creation have spiritual
energy. THANKS A. G.
Not a problem. Hopefully you'll enjoy the multi-video Murakami deep dives (looking at a couple of chapters at a time). 😊
This is my first Murakami. I loved it so much I just bought 2 more Murakamis 🥰
Which ones?
I just bought Kafka on the shore and Norwegian wood. Which should read first?
I actually haven't read Norwegian Wood yet, but I have a deep dive series on Kafka on the Shore. It's the more complicated/bizarre of the two. I'm sure both are amazing in their own way.
I think main theme of dis book is abt self doubt tazaki has always had a self doubt weather Sara would accept him or not, as becoz he always thought he could give little to her comparing to others ,even though ERI boosts up his confidence by saying don't get bad elves get u ,it means she is conveying dat ,dnt let self soubt kill u ,he always thinks of the 50 year old person who is wid Sara is a best person to her ,he thinks she is happy with her ,nd she won't b dat happy wid him ,I think writer of the book wants to say dat no matter wat the situation is learn to handle it, as tazagi handled the situation when four of his friends left him ,by joining gym ,swimming ,changing his personality making new friends like Haida...and at last tazaki said dat ,once upon a time they truly believed in sumthing and that they are kind of people capable of believing in sumthing with their whole heart ,,but atlast he doubts himself once he revisit their friends and he says not everything will b lost in flow of time ....main theme is ,self doubt and isolation can kill u ...try to change ur thinking, and learn to handle the situations like,, if one u love d most rejects u ,even no matter how hard u work for success, but atlast if u face failure, learn how to handle d situations .
tsukuru's father being the culprit seems viable because in end of the book, it's mentioned that tsukuru never got to get too close to his father because he was always busy with work, and now in retrospect he thinks maybe his father did have a mistress he liked spending time with. Therefore if that's true it suggests that the character (tsukuru's father) wasn't quite moral.
Wow, never thought about that. You clarified that a lot, now, to read the book again.
Great idea. I have to read it again soon, too.
I bought this book to read a few days ago, thinking it was one of the few murakami books I hadn't read. As I was reading, I realised I had read it and gave me a sense of nostalgia...how weird that a brilliant book was effectively erased from my brain! Whereas his other books like wind up bird chronicles and Kafka on the shore etched into my mind
Have you listened to the classical music referenced on the book?
That was a great video. Made me want to reread this one!
Reading Murakami is always a good choice.
accused is so much harsher than the tricksters who just play Murakami bingo
Oh, poor Murakami Bingo, how my analytics showed nobody gave a sh*t about you.
A. G. Macdonald too bad it sounds lovely
I totally agree. It was his father. Shiro was not lying. She named her rapist (and maybe killer). Tsukuru had his father's name (and watch).
I was toying with the idea that Shiru possibly killed herself
It's interesting to hear so many people's take on it. Thanks for sharing. 😃
I've just finished reading the book. Yeah, you've made an interesting assumption about the person who did it to Shiro.
I didn't particular like the ending of the book, because it remained unclear if they stayed together with Sara or not.
Overall, thank you for your review, it was nice to hear your thoughts.
watching for a reporting in great books. i hope i can summarize this story as good as you did.
Good luck. You got this!
You got a video or plans to do one on 1Q84? Seriously I cannot find any videos or posts that work to dissect it. Opinions on it are mixed so there's more discussion on that. I enjoyed your analysis on this one and Kafka on the Shore so I'd love to hear your thoughts on that one. I would also understand if you don't know, or rather don't want to read 1000 pages if you haven't hah.
I have plans for it, but not in the near future. I have an 11 episode deep dive into Kafka on the Shore coming up the next few months. Perhaps when that is done, I might move onto 1Q84. 😊
@@agmacdonald Thanks for the info! Appreciate the vids
Great job!
Thanks.
I just finished the book. I liked his flow and rhythm and actually after a certain point the book was so thrilling I could stop reading it. Alas, reaching the end of the book, I saw that the sub-plots were not resolved and also there was not a deeper critical or philosophical meaning to support their existence, if later on they were not developed as part of the main story. I was expecting that there would be a resolution at the end, bringing together all the unsolved "mysteries" created. I guess there must be a follow up in the works, because otherwise I would be rather disappointed.
how did u conclude, Haida is depressed?
Haida just left, where did you get the suicide idea from?
But Yuzu wasn't in love with Tsukuru, Eri talked about that for about 30 pages
If it Tsukuru father who rape shiro, thempn it all make sense ,, he rape her in Tsukuru apartment, and somehow the room projecting the rape incident that why Tsukuru always has that dream
😢
Great video
Thanks.
What do you think happened to Haida? And why was he gone?
I feel like the implications is he committed suicide, but it's up for interpretation.
What quote can you see that Tsukuru has the same name as his father
It's been a while since I've read it, but I recall some reference early on in the book.
@@agmacdonald thnx, I am reading the book on danish and it turns out that there are less pages in danish translation of the book than the english version. But I will try to find the quote and see it from there :)
It's interesting how some translations give different clues.
Wait, isn't tsukuru father's name is Toshio?
His name is Toshio Tazaki which is same with Tsukuru Tazaki
nice hitchhiker's splice
Marvin always makes me smile.
You have it mixed it. It was kuro that was in love with tsukuro, not shiro.
the base level plot is so rude!
He can have one book that doesn't leave you scratching your head. 😄😄😄
A. G. Macdonald fair
Bro just read the book.
I did?
BUT what if Tsukuru actually raped Shiro...
It's definitely worth exploring as an option.