When the Wind Sings, Haruki Murakami's debut, follows a nameless 21-year-old student who spends the semester break (and thus August 1970) in his small hometown. He spends his time with his best friend, known as "Rat," a girl with four fingers on her left hand, and a bartender. The story of Pinball, 1973 begins three years later. The young man now lives in Tokyo, while "Rat" is still waiting in "J.'s Bar" for life to begin. A melancholic, atmospherically rich novel that also contains arguably the best pinball scenes in literary history. After much hesitation, Haruki Murakami has listened to the requests of his readership and agreed to publish this early work, which never appeared outside Japan. Together with A Wild Sheep Chase, they form the "Rat Trilogy.".