Pinball, 1973 (The Rat Series #2)

The second book in the "Trilogy of the Rat" series, it is preceded by Hear the Wind Sing (1979) and followed by A Wild Sheep Chase (1982)

Very much a continuation of Hear The Wind Sing with the familiar site (J's bar) and characters (J and Rat). The novel is a collage of everyday episodes of the single 24-year-old Tokyoist, his disinterest in his translation job, his asexual relationship with the twin sisters 208 and 209, and his half-estrangement from social world. He oscillates between ceaseless pursuit of interests (midnight visit to Pinball machine) and resignation (painless farewell to the twins), and at times emerges from the cool, semiotic space of his apartment to bath in the autumn light.

from haruki murakami resources