Works of Genius

Kafka on the Shore

• "Tell me, when you're alone do you sometimes think about your partner and feel sad?"
• "Of course," he says. "It happens sometimes. When the moon turns blue, when birds fly south, when--"
• "Why of course?" I ask.
• "Anyone who falls in love is searching for the missing pieces of themselves. So anyone who's in love gets sad when they think of their lover. It's like stepping back inside a room you have fond memories of, one you haven't seen in a long time. It's just a natural feeling. You're not the person who discovered that feeling, so don't go trying to patent it, okay?"
• I lay my fork down and look up. "A fond, old, faraway room?"
• "Exactly," Oshima says. He holds his fork straight up for emphasis. "Just a metaphor, of course."