Sputnik Sweetheart

Sputnik Sweetheart (Japanese: スプートニクの恋人, Supūtoniku no Koibito) is a novel by Haruki Murakami, published in 1999. It follows the lives of three main characters through the eyes of one of them, and is largely concerned with the themes of love, loneliness, self-identity and the meaning of friendship. The lonely Sputnik satellites orbiting Earth serve as an ongoing piece of symbolism throughout the novel.

Tropes used in Sputnik Sweetheart include:

• Author Appeal: A running trait in Murakami novels. This one has characters obssessed with reading, and a lot of classical music.
• Dream Sequence: Several. One of the key ones forms the basis of a piece Sumire writes.
• Incompatible Orientation: K and Sumire.
• Love Triangle: K, in love with Sumire, in love with Miu.
• May-December Romance: Of a sort, between Sumire and Miu.
• Mind Screw: Good luck figuring out what actually happened to Sumire.
• No Ending: Quite common in Murakami novels.
• One-Letter Name: The narrator, only known as K.
• Rape as Backstory: Implied for Miu.