Supūtoniku no koibito

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Supūtoniku no koibito (Japanese language, 1999, Kōdansha)

309 pages

Japanese language

Published Oct. 30, 1999 by Kōdansha.

ISBN:
9784062096577
OCLC Number:
41333036

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4 stars (1 review)

Sputnik Sweetheart (スプートニクの恋人, Supūtoniku no Koibito) is a novel by Haruki Murakami, published in Japan, by Kodansha, in 1999. An English translation by Philip Gabriel was then published in 2001.

18 editions

Melancholy, and lovely.

4 stars

All of Murakami's books have an element of melancholy to them, but this one particularly so. I appreciate the straightforward storytelling because it adds an element of realism to the characters' engagement with one another and builds empathy for all of them - each caught in their own despair.

I also really appreciate how he writes about sex in such a straightforward manner. It keeps a book like this - with a major component being sexual longing - from turning salacious and gratuitous.