An absolutely beautiful existential yet shocking book.Kawakami does not pull back on her punches (no pun intended) when it comes to depictions of physical bullying in order to give immense weight and beauty to the much lighter, happier, quieter and more philosophical moments of the book. Themes and discussions of why we suffer and if we are responsible for any suffering that comes our way, what empathy is, how to be a friend and why to be a friend to someone in need are not just touched upon in the book but are thoroughly investigated and questioned throughout the novel.That being said, it is not a depressing novel with a bleak ending or agenda. If anything, the book is very uplifting and powerful and encouraging to all, especially towards those who have experienced any form of bullying and harassment.Kawakami's prose is simply and plain but nothing less than effective and efficient at conveying complex and sensitive emotional sentiments perfectly and crystal clearly. The book is way more accessible and appealing this way. It's brought beautifully and simply to life by Scott Keiji Takeda - he has a soft and gentle voice and reads Kawakami's prose with a sensitivity and conversely a heaviness or a strong acknowledgement that the book is mainly filled with sensitive topics and depictions of interactions that require discretion. For these reasons I would highly HIGHLY recommend this book AND this audiobook to anyone.