About the first novel I read and the world I was transported to

　I had never read a novel until  I was 19 years old.

　I couldn’t pass a University entrance exam when I was 18 years old. Therefore, I spent another year preparing for the entrance exam. However, in the following year, I didn’t get accepted into the university that I really wanted to go to, so I went to my second choice.

　I was depressed every day because I failed it. I like studying physics and mathematics but I couldn’t focus on them. One day, I met a girl who specialized in mathematics. She was popular with men. Her hobby is to read a novel, to play the piano and to watch a movie. I watched many movies so far, so I enjoyed talking with her about the movie. However I didn’t know what to talk about because I had never had a girl friend before.

　After that, I went to a bookstore but I didn’t know what kind of novels I should read. I picked up a book without thinking too much of it with my eyes closed. That was my first encounter with Haruki Murakami.

　After reading his novel, I was surprised that his novel contained sexual scenes. I couldn’t imagine such a thing. For the first time, I knew an author can write sexual things in novels. However, his novel include not only that, but also toughness. That was the most important teaching to me at that time.

　The first book I read was Kafka on the Shore.