i had the pleasure of going to a talk/Q&A that Murakami did many years ago. i am paraphrasing the following question and answer, but the root of it made a deep impression on me:
> someone in the audience asked what his stories meant. there was a sense of the plots being profound, but just out of reach.
>
> Murakami replied that there was no great meaning. they were dreams he had.
> someone in the audience asked what his stories meant. there was a sense of the plots being profound, but just out of reach. > > Murakami replied that there was no great meaning. they were dreams he had.