Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

A shorter, quieter novel about Tsukuru Tazaki, a man in his thirties who designs railway stations in Tokyo. In his youth he belonged to a close group of five friends, until they suddenly cut him off without explanation, leaving him with lasting pain and a sense of being empty. Encouraged by a new friend, he finally sets out to find the old companions and learn why. His journey takes him across Japan and to Finland. The story is a gentle exploration of friendship, loneliness, self-image and the long effects of rejection.