Hiromi Kawakami is one of my must read authors, her style and focus change dramatically between books and I'm always surprised by her dexterity to do so. Third Love examined the veils that love throws up over first love, how difficult it is to learn who you yourself are inside and outside of an all consuming love, and how love changes over the course of the lives of those involved. This was done in a highly unusual way, through time travelling dreams. This was both very interesting and sometimes a little boring for me. It's probably not my favourite story telling device but I enjoyed how it impacted the characters, how getting to experience more changes the way you love. At the heart of this is the lesson that while you are young you might not understand so deeply the intricacies of relationships. That as time moves forward you learn and reflect on how you have loved and how others need different versions of love to thrive in a relationship.