I think I've felt disappointed in the ending of every Murakami book I've ever read. At the same time I always sort of miss his protagonists after I finish the last page. I almost wish he'd write a series of doorstoppers with the same protagonists so you could spend more time with his heroes and never really have to worry about finishing it. It would be like one of those mediocre fantasy series with 15 books- but instead of having to put up with an endless imitation of Tolkien you'd tag along with a group of sad but cultured people as they mope around Japan for thousands of pages. I guess Updike's Rabbit series would be a closer comparison, only like with those pulpy fantasy novels I never liked them. Unlike most of Murakami's main characters I never wanted to spend more than a few minutes with Rabbit and his sad problems. The world of those books isn't as appealing or as real to me for some reason (or the American setting makes it more relatable and thus