Pinball by Haruki Murakami Discussion

Hello all!

So being that the first book I've read in 2025 was Hear The Wind Sing by Murakami, I decided to follow it up with Pinball which is an extension of Wind anyway. And with my goal of reading a book a week, this one made sense at 200(ish) pages. A few observations...

Like Wind, Pinball was also light on plot. It doesn't matter with Murakami. The prose in describing the most common, everyday, serene scenes is just perfect for my liking. I can read on and on about Rat just sitting in J's Bar, drinking away his thoughts. The conversations here between Rat and J are both somehow meaningless and impactful. Murakami just seems so peak in his ability to make a mundane scene so atmospheric and purposeful. I am really enjoying this journey reading his work, and I know Wind and Pinball are just appetizers. Just don't ask any questions about what you read, go with the flow. It is better that way.

On that note, to enjoy Wind/Pinball you have to be ok with existing in this bizarre, abstract world where some things are true to reality (bands like the Beach Boys, the album Rubber Soul) and some things are made up for these narratives (the author Derek Hartfield). I have no doubt Murakami is taking people and events from his own youth as influences, and meshing them with the imaginary. The twins 208 and 209, for example seem so fictionalized. They fool around with our narrator in bed, perform the typical twin cliche of finishing each other's thoughts and swearing they are easily distinguishable, and the like. I am fairly certain they are completely fictionalized. But then we have the Rat and our narrator, who I could envision as inspirations drawn from some of Murakami's real life experiences. I like not knowing though, and I like existing in the bizarre and not questioning things. It is one of the reasons I have always enjoyed the films of the late David Lynch. Don't question it, just enjoy it.

Speaking of the bizarre, I like how Murakami ascribes meaning, emotion and affection for inanimate things as if they are our pets, our friends, our lovers. He does this in Pinball with a wharf beacon, an old telephone switch panel and of course the pinball machine Spaceship. The relationships he writes in are strange and speak to his creativity and brilliance as a writer. I am still sussing out the concrete meanings behind the individual relationships in this book, but they are definitely the core focal point. But again, not all needs to be known to be enjoyed. There is a close yet distant relationship between the Rat and J. They are almost like old friends who know very little about one another. The relationship between the twins and our narrator seems very blase, superficial, and I always got the vibe he only wanted their company to keep his own loneliness at bay. They are almost like objects, though of course they are alive. He seems to have more affectionate for the kittens he plays with during his lunch breaks. Understandable, kittens are cool. The Rat and his woman have a sort of tragic relationship. He is crazy about her, loves her, but realizes love draws him away from who he really is. So he has to figure out how to split from her. But the sadness and ceremony felt for the old phone switch panel, and the borderline romantic relationship the narrator has with Spaceship are really intriguing. I like this world that Murakami builds, where common things are more than they seem. It gives me very Disco Elysium vibes where objects have character and personality. This philosophy is unique. Whether you hate or love Murakami, this style is very original in my view.

I make the pitch to read these if you are fan of unique styles of writing. The prose is beautiful, and the descriptions of settings like the city, the cemetary, the ocean are just so vivid. But in these raw snippets of the young narrator's life, Murakami writes in little philosophies that hit home spiritually to the reader. I am a huge fan of this, even if nothing is really happening on so grand a scale plotwise. It is the whole purpose of writing, to reach readers in grand and subtle sentences. And it is a testament to Murakami's ability to do this. These early works of his have been a treat, and for folks who want to immerse themselves in the Murakami catalogue, this is quite a good introduction. I am looking forward to reading the rest of his collection. Read his works, don't ask questions, just enjoy it.

“Almost nothing can be gained from pinball. The only payoff is a numerical substitution for pride. The losses, however, are considerable. You could probably erect bronze statues of every American president (assuming you are willing to include Richard Nixon) with the coins you will lose, while your lost time is irreplaceable."

“No sooner had one season slipped out the door than the next came in by another door. A person might scramble to the closing door and call out, Hey, wait a minute, there’s one last thing I forgot to tell you. But nobody would be there any more. The door shuts tight. Already another season is in the room, sitting in a chair, striking a match to light a cigarette. Anything you forgot to mention, the stranger says, you might as well go ahead and tell me, and if it works out, I’ll get the message through."