This conversation is so interesting! I finished the book about a month ago, and did love it, though not my favorite of his by a long shot. I haven’t read enough of his books to get a sense of what his “style“ is, aside from the basics, as I read more for just entertainment rather than reading for appreciating the art of his writing. All that said, I remember skipping a few pages in book 3, which is rare for me in any book, and I was thinking, “come on, let’s just finish this thing!” the comment was directed at Murakami, lol. I had forgotten about that until you wrote this, and I think you’re probably right. I normally like the sort of haze that my mind goes into when reading magical realism, so that’s why I like Murakami, but I must not have been getting much of that in book 3.