It's not just that, but also the main protagonist is written terribly and never given any real faults or challenges to overcome. During the entire book there is

It's not just that, but also the main protagonist is written terribly and never given any real faults or challenges to overcome. During the entire book there is never a challenge that is not resolved by the next paragraph. The Japanese friends that he makes are grossly stereotyped and are kept one dimensional during the entire book as well. The main character also strikes me as incredibly creepy, and to a level where he could be classified as an para-social stalker. Just comes off as being a terrible person overall. Spielberg's movie however is fantastic and one of those rare instances where the movie truly does outrank the book.