Seriously what the hell did I just read? Mostly I found myself interested in what was happening, so I was able to get through all 1300 pages or so, but by the end I felt like I still had no idea about 75% of the plot. Dozens of hanging threads that never resolved and in many cases felt like they were just hinted at.

So is this just how Murakami writes? Is this the wrong first book of his to read? I've had people recommend them before but I'm not getting it at this point.