Paul
Yes, Lewis here expands some of the Narnia lore and introduces some fun characters, but I do think the plot is pretty boring, slow, and arbitrary. It feels like Lewis just really wanted to go back to Narnia and couldn't quite figure out what he wanted to do once he was there. It seems that this book was more like stage-setting for future stories than it was a full story in its own right.
What a great and fun introduction to Murakami's works and imaginative world. It drags a little at times, but it's always interesting, odd, and contemplative. Even at its most ridiculous, it is subdued and understated, as if nothing is wrong and weird. And I loved it. It was fun, but not (how do I put it) exciting? Thrilling? So if that's what you want out of a fantastical mystery, this isn'it it. But if you're looking for a fun, quirky book with moments of beauty and profundity that presses into the isolation of the human experience and the temptations of the pursuit for meaning in the midst of absurdity, this just might be it.
This is truly one of his best plays. Cleo Parra wife a Shakespearean woman character like no other.