"TV People" by Haruki Murakami

 

This definitely requires a second if not a third read. It's weird and filled with what-the-hell-is-going-on moments. Usually, the problem with some Murakami stories stems from the fact that they contain more than one major symbol. It can be confusing to the readers. What's with the reduced people, for instance, the TV set, the airplane that doesn't look like an airplane. What all of this has to do with the unnamed protagonist and the wife. So many questions and Murakami's tendency for subtlety can, sometimes, be overwhelming.

I googled for some explanations and I came across this: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/murakami/comments/hpj94t/curious_to_hear_peoples_thoughts_on_tv_people/

The story can mean many things. I was surprised to learn that a theory states that the wife is [SPOILER ALERT] cheating on the protagonist. There are many other theories, but one thing I'm quite certain of which is that the story is about disconnection or being divorced not from reality but from human contact. You need only notice how the protagonist refers to his wife as the wife.

This is a typical Murakamian story. The mood is exceptional. (or maybe because today is the first rain: the sky is dark and it's raining cats and dogs. The smell of earth permeates my library while I'm sipping my coffee listening to the audiobook). But anyway, TV People should be lengthened to a full novel, just like The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday's Women. Maybe then, we'll get our answers.