村上春樹的小說作品中，常帶有一種「喪失感」。即便是讀者並未經歷過，甚至是不合乎常理的事情，在閱讀村上的作品時，讀者也容易產生既視感。與其說，村上的小說之中，到處點綴著「異界」的信息，倒不如說，村上的作品是從「異界」的角度來眺望、講述「此界」（這個世界）。在任何事物皆被周密整備、計畫的現代都會裡，「異界」並非指來世，「異界」是以「此界」時空的「扭曲反轉現象」之姿呈現。村上於1985年發表的短篇小說「麵包店再襲擊」裡面，「異界」的訊息亦一字一句地被鑲綴於其中。在法律事務所工作，正值新婚的第二個禮拜的「我」與妻子在某個夜裡感受到強烈的饑餓感。他們二人早就知道，這種源自「異界」詛咒的「絕對的飢餓」只能靠襲擊學生時代的我未能突襲成功的麵包店才能解除。於是，他們在半夜襲擊麥當勞，搶走30個大麥克之後逃逸。吃下搶來的大量大麥克之後，我倆的飢餓感解除了。那麼，這個「詛咒」究竟是怎麼回事？發出「詛咒」的「異界」的真面目到底為何？「我」為什麼非得承受這個「異界」的「詛咒」不可呢？當時襲擊麵包店失敗之後，「我」從大學畢業。就職之後結了婚，成為一介平凡的市民。這個像是「許多年不曾清洗、滿是灰塵，從天花板上垂掛下來的窗簾」一般的「詛咒」，其實是過去自己所主張的「破壞社會既有價值觀」。這個理念不斷地嘲笑著現今背離理念、與生活妥協的「我」。這個詛咒就像是一個未完成的任務，化身為「異界」的居民阻擋我的前進。而在襲擊麵包店成功之後，「我」又該活在哪個世界呢？

It is said that there is ”a sense of loss” in the novels of Haruki Murakami. Readers are led to feel déjà vu as they read through his works which are filled with many significant signs from ”the peculiar world,” even though they never have such experiences before. To be more precise, he observes and narrates this world with the perspectives of ”the peculiar world.” In the modern metropolis where everything is carefully calculated and planned to the utmost effort, the so-called ”peculiar world” is not the other world: it is the twisted and distorted phenomenon of this world. ”The Second Bakery Attack” is permeated with the messages from the ”peculiar world.”The male protagonist ”I” works in a law firm and is married for two weeks. One night, ”I” and his wife are attacked by a strong sense of hunger. His wife suggests that the ”absolute hunger” is caused by the curse from the ”peculiar world.” It will not die away until the task is fully accomplished: he has to put right his former failure of launching a proper bakery attack as a student. As a result, they attack a McDonald's franchise and plunder thirty Big Macs. After they escape, they eat a large number of the Big Macs and hence their sense of hunger disappears.What is this ”curse”? What is the ”peculiar world,” which sends them this curse? Why should the protagonist ”I” receive such a curse? After failing to attack a bakery, the protagonist ”I” graduates from a university, finds a job, gets married and becomes an ordinary citizen. This ”curse” ”hanging over his head like a dirty curtain” could be viewed as his previous way of ”destructing the existing social values.” He betrays his own old-time belief, compromises with a normal life, obeys common sense and becomes a part of the society. His old-time belief mocks him and the unaccomplished homework of bakery attack blocks his way and restricts him to live in the ”peculiar world.” Once the protagonist ”I” achieves bakery attack successfully, in what sort of world will he live he live hereafter?