# Help me remember the title of this book
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 15, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627 "2005-03-15T13:26:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627/1 "2005-03-15T13:26:51Z")
I read it a few years ago and was meaning to buy it, but promptly forgot. Lately I’ve been thinking about it.
It’s by a Japanese author, and I believe it’s a translation from the Japanese. It was published within the last ten years. The title is something like “The Mechanical Hummingbird” or “The Clockwork Finch” - some kind of play on a robotic bird. It’s about a man who’s wife leaves him, and he ends up talking to a young girl (I think) who lives near him. At one point, he finds himself trapped at the bottom of a well. I think the young girl eventually saves him.
I did some Google searches, but they were pre-caffeine and nothing’s coming up.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627/2 "2005-03-15T13:39:02Z")
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, by Murakami. I know nothing about the book, I’ve just heard of it. Okay, okay, I think I read that Thom Yorke was reading it. I’m not on trial here!
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### Author:  [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627/3 "2005-03-15T14:13:09Z")
Thats definately it. Great book.
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### Author:  [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627/4 "2005-03-15T15:13:57Z")
As an aside, I recommend Murakami’s other books as well. I still haven’t read The Wind-up Bird Chronicles, though. I’ve heard it’s one of his best.
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### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-remember-the-title-of-this-book/294627/5 "2005-03-15T15:24:34Z")
Woo woo! You guys are great. Thankee!