Norwegian Wood - Review
Link to the author's (H. Murakami) personal website
Genre: Fiction
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (25)
- Length (4 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: Toru, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.
A magnificent blending of the music, the mood, and the ethos that was the sixties with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age, Norwegian Wood brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.
Review: So this one might be a bit biased....... After reading a bit of Murakami, I've got the suspicion that the first novel of his that you read is the most enjoyable, even if it's not necessarily the 'best'. Norwegian wood was my first Murakami, and despite the previous suspicion, I'm confident that it's the best. It is fan-fucking-tastic and remains much more memorable than others that I've read.
Following Watanabe through his early life and getting a view of his inner turmoil is honestly both exhilarating and tragic. Watanabe, Naoko and Midori felt much realer than what I would in general experience when reading, and this puts it up there near Shadow of the Wind for me (amazingly high praise). The book's not all sunshine as a warning, but please don't let this deter you. There's a heavy emphasis on relationships in this book and discovering what you truly want, and despite the maybe lack of sometimes comparable experiences, I definitely related to the writing and story. The ending was perfect too, and think this especially will leave a lasting good impression. (The translation is also perfect)