Krishna
This is a strange book by any count. The title itself is unusual, in that it refers to the conversation between two of the Main characters, Miu, a suave, Korean born, rich businesswoman in Japan and Sumire, the heroine of the novel. Miu confuses the word Beatnik with Sputnik and thus becomes a `Sputnik Sweetheard’ in Sumire’s mind.
The other weird thing about this novel is that the narrator is never named. It is just `I’ all through, and others, like Sumire and Miu also call him `you’. Simple. His flings with his various girlfriends include no mention of their names either. Unusual.
All this should have combined to make this novel memorable, except that there is nothing memorable in it altogether. I am told that all of Haruki’s novels are told in this same style, and if so, I have probably read enough Murakami already.
The story is pointless. Sumire comes across as a confused, spoilt, child, clueless in the real world, wild enough to call anyone up at 3 AM from a public phone booth near her Tokyo apartment on a whim. She fancies herself as an author but cannot write if her life depended on it. She never finishes anything. She falls in love with Miu, another girl. The narrator –yes, the nameless one – is desperately in love with Sumire but finds solace in flings with other women, the details of which he shares with Sumire.
The author seems obsessed with nakedness as every character in the movie strips at the slightest pretense. Any excuse will do to strip and walk or swim or sleep naked all over the place.
The people also behave in an oddly unreasonable way in everything they do. Why did Miu’s hair turn white suddenly in “one night”? Don’t ask: It is supposed to be a highlight of the story but after reading it, it makes no sense. Why did Sumire suddenly disappear in a foreign locale without explanation? Don’t ask – you will not understand at all even if I were able to tell you.
The story is completely pointless in other ways too – Sumire’s father seems to be developing into an important character, only to be dropped like yesterday’s garbage in the middle of the story; there seems to be something important happening in the life of one of the narrator’s temporary girlfriends, just to peter out; Sumire seems to come back, but….
If any of you still want to read the story, I will not spoil it for you. (Even if I tried, can I?)
Let us say, a 2/10
— Krishna