is a
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
published in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
by
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
author
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
. The second book in the "Trilogy of the Rat" series, it is preceded by ''
Hear the Wind Sing
is the first novel by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. It first appeared in the June 1979 issue of ''Gunzo'', and in book form the next month. The novel was adapted by Japanese director Kazuki Ōmori in a 1981 film distributed by Art Theatre Guil ...
'' (
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
) and followed by ''
A Wild Sheep Chase
(literally An Adventure Concerning Sheep) is the third novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. First published in Japan in 1982, it was translated into English in 1989. It is an independent sequel to ''Pinball, 1973'', and the third book in ...
'' (
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
), and is the second novel written by Murakami.
All three books in the Trilogy of the Rat have been translated into English, but ''Pinball, 1973'', and ''Hear The Wind Sing'', the first two books in the trilogy, were only printed as English translations in Japan by
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
under their Kodansha English Library branding, and both only as
A6-sized pocket editions. Before being reprinted in 2009, these novels were difficult to locate and quite expensive, especially outside Japan. Murakami is alleged to have said that he did not intend these novels to be published outside Japan. Whether or not this is true, both novels are much shorter than those that follow and make up the bulk of his work, and are less evolved stylistically. The title reflects that of the well-known
Oe Kenzaburo novel, ''
The Silent Cry
''The Silent Cry'' (Japanese 万延元年のフットボール; ''Man'nen gan'nen no futtoboru'', literally ''Football in the First Year of Man'en'') is a novel by Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe, first published in Japanese in 1967 and awarded th ...
'', which in the original Japanese is titled .
An omnibus English edition of Murakami's first two novels (''Hear the Wind Sing'' and ''Pinball, 1973''), under the title ''Wind/Pinball'', with translations by Prof. Ted Goossen of York University, was released in the United States in August, 2015.
Plot introduction
Despite being an early work, ''Pinball'' shares many elements with Murakami's later novels. It describes itself in the text as "a novel about pinball," but also explores themes of loneliness and companionship, purposelessness, and destiny. As with the other books in the "Trilogy of the Rat" series, three of the characters include the protagonist, a nameless first-person narrator, his friend The Rat, and J, the owner of the bar where they often spend time.
Plot summary
The plot centers on the narrator's brief but intense obsession with pinball, his life as a freelance translator, and his later efforts to reunite with the old pinball machine that he used to play. He describes living with a pair of identical unnamed female twins, who mysteriously appear in his apartment one morning, and disappear at the end of the book. Interspersed with the narrative are his memories of the Japanese student movement, and of his old girlfriend Naoko, who hanged herself. The plot alternates between describing the life of the narrator and that of his friend, Rat. Many familiar elements from Murakami's later novels are present. Wells, which are mentioned often in Murakami's novels and play a prominent role in ''
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
is a novel published in 1994–1995 by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The American translation and its British adaptation, dubbed the "only official translations" (English), are by Jay Rubin and were first published in 1997. For this novel, Mu ...
'', occur several times in ''Pinball''. There is also a brief discussion of the abuse of a cat, a plot element which recurs elsewhere in Murakami's fiction, especially in ''
Kafka on the Shore
is a 2002 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. Its 2005 English translation was among "The 10 Best Books of 2005" from ''The New York Times'' and received the World Fantasy Award for 2006. The book tells the stories of the young Kafka Tamur ...
'' and ''
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
is a novel published in 1994–1995 by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The American translation and its British adaptation, dubbed the "only official translations" (English), are by Jay Rubin and were first published in 1997. For this novel, Mu ...
'' (in which the search for a missing cat is an important plotline). Rain and the sea are also prominent motifs.
Characters
''In order of appearance in the story.''
I / Protagonist - The narrator of the story, 24 years old. He is the co-founder of a translating company and he takes care of the twins. He is looking for a pinball machine named the three-flipper Spaceship.
Naoko - She is the college girlfriend of the protagonist. She is not alive anymore.
The twins - Completely identical, the protagonist awakens to both of them in his bed one morning. They do not reveal their names and live with the protagonist. It is mentioned multiple times that they make good coffee.
The Rat - The protagonist's friend from university, 25 years old. Rich university dropout, he seems to be stuck in time since the spring he quit school. He goes to J's bar daily.
The friend - The friend is the co-founder of the translating company. He translates from French. He also has a sick wife and a 3 years old son.
The girl - She is a young woman out of business school and an employee of the translating company. Described as having long legs and a sharp mind, she likes humming the song "
Penny Lane
"Penny Lane" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Strawberry Fields Forever". It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwr ...
".
J the barthender - J is a 45 years old Chinese man and he owns a bar where the protagonist and the Rat used to go frequently during their university days. The Rat still goes daily.
The repairman - The repairman is from a phone company and he shows up at the protagonist's apartment to replace his switch panel.
The girl with long hair - She lived above the protagonist in university, until she dropped out of school. The protagonist would often answer phone calls that were destined to her.
The woman - The woman and the Rat are in a casual relationship and see each other once a week. She is a 27 years old architect.
The Spanish instructor - He is a university Spanish instructor and a pinball machines junkie. He helps the protagonist on his quest to find the three-flipper Spaceship.
The doctor - She is a woman in her fifties. She helps the protagonist regain hearing.
Major themes
''Pinball 1973,'' as well as the Rat Trilogy in general, introduces themes known today as classic Murakami tropes such as the appearance of the uncanny into the mundane.
The narrative, detached from the tangible world and highly introspective, sets a surreal tone for the novel, in which the narrator seems to find little unusual about such things as living with twins whom he cannot distinguish and whose names he does not know, or performing a funeral for a telephone circuit box. The novel also hints vaguely at
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
occurrences (which often appear in Murakami's fiction), for instance with the anthropomorphic presence of the three-flipper Spaceship pinball machine.
Similar to many of Murakami's other novels, the protagonist is a detached, apathetic character whose deadpan demeanor stands either in union or, more often, starkly in contrast with the attitudes of other characters. He confesses in the novel that he is at a stage in life where he copes with a meaningless routine by "wanting nothing more". However, the protagonist's calmness appears to be a protection against the loss he went through in the first novel of the trilogy, which explains his attitude of detachment.
Furthermore, there is an overall sense of melancholia that follows the protagonist in ''Pinball 1973''.
This emotional state is established early on as he explains that there is sometimes a strange feeling that comes over him, a feeling as if he is splitting into pieces.
Shadows of his past keep following him as he is trying to move on. He expresses himself often on Naoko and her family, and travels to a train station she had described to him in an attempt to mourn.
There is also in a sense the loss of the Rat, who is still alive and present in the story, but not in contact with the protagonist anymore. The pinball machine is a direct reference to both Naoko and the Rat, and therefore to a life he will never find back.
Awards
*
Akutagawa Prize
The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes.
History
The ...
- nominated
*
Noma Literary Newcomer's Prize - nominated
English Language Edition
*
References
{{Authority control
1980 Japanese novels
Novels by Haruki Murakami
Works about pinball