Wind/Pinball: Two Novels

In addition to the author's preface and his own life stories about how he suddenly came to a point to write a novel and become a novelist, I liked the part in Pinball which the university lecturer speaks about Pinball machine producers history! I had the feeling of an author under influence of Catcher in the Rye in the first book. In the second part we do not see any real connection between the narrator and the Rat other than their regular meetings with J and some small talks on Pinball machines. They seem more to be friends in the first book. Even when the Rat decides to leave the big challenge for him is telling his decision to J and there is no mention of telling or having problem telling it to the narrator.