The Nature of Consciousness

The dominant theme of the novel deals with an investigation into the nature of consciousness. Indeed, the novel's two narrative threads are constructed entirely around the theme. The odd-numbered chapters detail the experiences of the Narrator as he lives out the last several days of his life. The even-numbered chapters detail the experiences through the altered perception of the Dreamreader. It is interesting to note how many elements in the two narrative threads occur more-or-less simultaneously. For example, as the Narrator sings a particular song in Tokyo, the Dreamreader is suddenly able to recall the note sequence of a song—the two songs are of course the same melody. While the Narrator feeds birds in a Tokyo part, the Dreamreader watches birds in the woods. Additionally, as the Narrator sits in a rented car on the Tokyo waterfront and slips into the sleep of...