A many-layered account of the Tokyo subway gas attack in 1995, in which 12 people died, as told to the novelist Haruki Murakami by surviving victims and members and ex-members of the doomsday cult responsible. Out of the 3800 victims, Murakami tracked down only 60 willing to be interviewed. In spite of the perpetrators intentions, the Tokyo gas attack left only twelve people dead, but thousands were injured and many suffered serious after-effects. The novelist Haruki Murakami interviews the victims to try and establish precisely what happened on the subway that day. He also interviews members and ex-members of the doomsdays cult responsible, in the hope that they might be able to explain the reason for the attack and how it was that their guru instilled such devotion in his followers.