Norwegian Wood is the novel that turned Haruki Murakami into an internationally recognized force and his status is well deserved! It is the first book of his that I have read and I can’t wait to start another. It’s by far the best book I’ve read so far this year.

Norwegian Wood is a tragic melancholy coming of age novel set in Tokyo during the late 1960′s. There’s nothing overly complex about it. It’s just a love story with characters who grow into adulthood as they try to overcome too much tragedy in their lives. But Murakami is masterful at depicting his characters’ inner turmoils as they grope for emotional solutions to their problems. As I got deeper into the novel I found myself reading slower and slower, wanting to stay with the characters for as long as possible. I’m sure that years from now I will still remember Toru, Naoko, Midori, and Reiko–I will remember their struggles–with continuing endearment.

If you want to refresh your memory of this fantastic book or see if it piques your interest, I’ve written a plot summary for you to read: Norwegian Wood chapter summary & synopsis ( )

I had been recommended this book by most as Murakami's best work, so I believe I had over expectations and though the book was a good read, it certainly did not live upto my expectations. The book is definitely not the paradigm of Murakami's writing, it does have troubled characters searching for more meaning in life that is characteristic of Murakami, but the metaphysical and the metaphorical aspect is almost amiss in this novel. Even the usual reference to music is fleeting and limited to Beatles, the stalwarts like Beethoven etc are not discussed in this book. Everyone dies in the book at ages less than 20 and the ending is definitely a disappointment.
Certainly not the best Murakami, but nevertheless I feel the echo of the self-destructive spirit and loneliness of the characters ringing through my mind as I hum Norwegian Wood over and over again!! ( )

2008/11/18
文章楽しい。 ( )