[winjer]

I find Bird Chronicle, along with Kafka on the Shore, to be one of Murakamis least accessible and ultimatley least succesful novels... its really just too damn big for its own good.

I highly reccomend starting your Murakami reading with either 'Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World,' 'Wild Sheep Chase,' or 'Norweigen Wood,' though its not very indicative of his normal style.