1
of
1
Sputnik Sweetheart
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 177,321 ratings, 13,297 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2200
$2600
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
Sputnik Sweetheart
$2200
$2600
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
K, a primary school teacher, is in love with Sumire. But Sumire is in love with Miu, an older woman. Frustrated, K has an affair with the mother of one of his pupils. Then Miu calls K from a Greek Island to ask for his help. He soon discovers that something very strange has happened to Sumire.
In the spring of her 22nd year, Sumire fell in love for the first time in her life. An intense love, a veritable tornado sweeping across the plains - flattening everything in its path, tossing things up in the air, ripping them to shreds, crushing them to bits' Sputnik Sweetheart
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami is a poignant exploration of unrequited love, identity, and the mysteries of existence, set against the backdrop of Murakami's signature blend of magical realism and existential inquiry.
At its core, the novel follows twenty-two-year-old Sumire, an aspiring writer with a bohemian flair, who finds herself in love for the first time. Her unexpected object of affection is Miu, a sophisticated and successful woman seventeen years her senior. Miu's life is filled with the allure of classical music and fine wine, in stark contrast to Sumire's world of oversized second-hand coats and heavy boots, reminiscent of a character from a Jack Kerouac novel.
Sumire's budding feelings for Miu leave her puzzled about her own sexual identity. She spends countless hours on the phone with her best friend, K., a primary school teacher who quietly harbours his own unspoken love for Sumire. Together, they ponder life's big questions, such as the nature of sexual desire and whether Sumire should confess her feelings to Miu. K., despite his own feelings, listens and advises while filling the void with an affair with the mother of one of his pupils.
The narrative takes an unexpected turn when K. receives a frantic phone call from Miu from a serene Greek island. Desperate and in need of his help, Miu reveals that something inexplicable has happened to Sumire. As K. ventures to the island, he discovers a surreal and mysterious situation that challenges his understanding of reality and his connection to Sumire.
Murakami masterfully intertwines themes of love, loss, and the search for self in Sputnik Sweetheart. The novel elegantly navigates the complexities of human emotions and relationships, all while maintaining an ethereal, dreamlike quality that captivates readers from beginning to end.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Sputnik Sweetheart has deeply touched and moved readers, particularly noted for its poetic treatment of contemporary life and emotions, evoking admiration and a sense of enduring sadness. The novel captivates with its unique style and has been praised for its light yet profound narrative.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780099448471
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 October 2002
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Vintage
Contributors:
- Introduction by Haruki Murakami
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 180g
Pages: 240
About the Author
Haruki Murakami is the author of many novels as well as short stories and non-fiction. His books include Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, The Strange Library and Wind/Pinball. His work has been translated into more than 50 languages, and the most recent of his many international honours are the Jerusalem Prize and Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.
Also by Haruki Murakami
View all-
Norwegian Wood
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami is a hauntingly beautiful and enigmatic love story that catapulted the author into literary stardom in Japan and remains his best-selling novel worldwide. When Toru Watanabe hears his favourite Beatles song, he is instantly transported back to his university days in Tokyo, nearly twenty years prior. The melody brings forth a stream of vivid memories,...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Kafka on the Shore
Kafka on the Shore, a spellbinding novel by Haruki Murakami, weaves together a surreal and intricate narrative that transcends the boundaries of reality. The story is driven by two central characters whose journeys unfold in parallel yet mysteriously interconnected ways. Fifteen-year-old Kafka Tamura is determined to escape his fatherโs chilling prophecy, embarking on a quest to discover his own path...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami is an enchanting blend of memoir, travelogue, and philosophical contemplation, offering readers a rare glimpse into the mind of this internationally acclaimed novelist. This captivating narrative delves into Murakami's journey as a runner and how it intertwines with his life as a writer, exploring the profound impact running...Paperback$2600Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips early August -
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
The breathtaking new novel about the boundaries between worlds and individuals, from the internationally bestselling author of 1Q84. STEP INTO THE CITY When a young man's girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its...Hardback$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
In the surreal and captivating world of Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, readers are taken on a whirlwind journey through parallel narratives that masterfully intertwine. The story follows an unnamed protagonist, who works as a "Calcutec," a human data processor and encryptor, in a futuristic Tokyo. His life starts to unravel as he is...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
A Wild Sheep Chase
Embark on an enigmatic journey with A Wild Sheep Chase, a compelling novel by Haruki Murakami that intricately weaves elements of the surreal with a stark portrayal of ordinary life. The narrative follows an unnamed protagonist, a Japanese advertising executive leading a monotonous existence reminiscent of a recurrent nightmare: a train to nowhere. His life abruptly takes an extraordinary turn...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Elephant Vanishes
In The Elephant Vanishes, Haruki Murakami masterfully weaves a collection of often surreal and always thought-provoking short stories that challenge the boundaries of reality and everyday life. Through his signature blend of the magical and the mundane, Murakami crafts a world where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the unreal becomes familiar. These stories delve into the lives of seemingly average...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Dance Dance Dance
Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami is a mesmerising journey through a surreal landscape, where the mundane meets the extraordinary. The story follows a nameless narrator on a quest to uncover the mysteries that seem to weave through his life and those of the peculiar characters he encounters. Set against a backdrop of advanced capitalist society, the protagonist navigates a...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami is a mesmerising anthology that delves deep into the surreal and the sublime. This collection of 24 short stories, originally published between 1981 and 2005, exemplifies Murakami's unique blend of magical realism, fantasy, and profound human insight. Within these pages, readers encounter a dazzling array of characters and scenarios: animated crows that bring...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Strange Library
Fully illustrated and beautifully designed, The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami is a unique and wonderfully eerie tale that promises to captivate and haunt the minds of readers. With Murakamiโs characteristic blend of surrealism and dark whimsy, this novella has become a treasure for his fans and a testament to his storytelling genius. On his way home from school, a...Hardback$3300Elsewhere:$3700Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
The breathtaking new novel about the boundaries between worlds and individuals, from the internationally bestselling author of 1Q84. Step into the City When a young man's girlfriend mysteriously vanishes, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city where her true self lives. His search will lead him to take a job in a remote library with mysteries of its...Paperback$2800Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid August -
Novelist as a Vocation
Thoughts and advice on the creative writing process from an international master of literature. Words have power. Yet that power must be rooted in truth and justice. Words must never stand apart from those principles. You end this collection...vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again โ Guardian Readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
More from General Fiction
View all-
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people โ but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseLand
Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, theย new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomรกs and his reluctant son,ย Liam, are working for the great...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set
The Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandon Sanderson is a landmark fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. Renowned for its innovative magic system, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this trilogy is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast. Immerse yourself in a world shrouded in ash, where a once-hopeful land is ruled by the tyrannical Dark Lord, known as the...Set$6800Elsewhere:$7500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Deal
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Deal now for the perfect fake-dating romance! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . . Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...Set$12400Elsewhere:$15500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Crescent City Paperback Box Set
A beautiful box set containing all three paperback instalments of the Crescent City series from #1 bestselling global phenomenon Sarah J. Maas. BOUND BY BLOOD. TEMPTED BY DESIRE. UNLEASHED BY DESTINY. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James โ Telegraph Spiced...Set$5499Elsewhere:$7000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Project Hail Mary
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL A BARACK OBAMA READING PICK A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. 'The most enjoyable hard SF I have read in years' GUARDIAN 'Weir's finest work to date... This is the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know...Paperback$2099Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Signed BookplateNew ReleaseLight Wielder
THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* โThe BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindleโ โญโญโญโญโญ โThe author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!โ โญโญโญโญโญ...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Signed CopyNew ReleaseThe Ballad of Falling Dragons
โฝ Raeve and Kaan will return in the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling phenomenon, When The Moon Hatched. Prepare for more danger, magic, romance, and dragons! โฝ The #1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragonsโฆ Discover the phenomenon everyone's falling for:...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Mind-bending science fiction about antimemes: ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign, but others, less so... These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you youโand you'll never even know anything changed. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
General Fiction lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listGeneral Fiction
Gothic Reads for Dark Nights
With the advent of movie adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, it looks like pop culture is seeing a revival of the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Top 10 Most Recommended Books
These are my Top 10 books that I always recommend to my friends and whฤnau when they ask for recommendations for getting...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Readersโ Top 100 Novels of All Time - from The Guardian
There was some controversy when The Guardian released their critics and authors list of the top 100 novels of all time, but...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...View the list
