Norwegian Wood

This was a curious one....well translated - or at least beautifully and carefully translated...however, it was like sipping on a strong and bitter drink with a few soft and comforting notes...some rare moments of tenderness (hospital scene where the protagonist is slicing and feeding cucumbers to his lover's terminally ill father; the love scene with Naoko's roommate, the late night guitar playing/chats, feedings at the bird sanctuary) but the heavier notes are ones of despair, powerlessness, dissatisfaction, and uncertainty...there are also many suicides in this novel - still a sad and shocking trend amongst Japanese youth/young professionals...there were too many instances of 'exiting' rather than 'coping' - however, the characters that chose to survive did not seem fully whole either... I can see why this would be a popular book in Japan as it seems to capture many of the tangible/intangible threads of modern Japanese society... Haunting...but achingly touching...

In the few moments every damn woman he meets aren't trying to talk in excruciating detail about sex with the main character (or maybe he doesn't remember anything else, he seems the type), then this book was really good. The descriptions really gave this book a vibe that I enjoyed but the main character is a horny distant young man who goes to college with a lot of pretentious pseudo-intellectuals and it clearly had an impact on him. It was odd at times and downright disturbing at others, but it also had this atmosphere sometimes that makes me think that perhaps a different book by this writer could be really enjoyable.

Depressing and moving

Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood” is a love story that is rooted in the male perspective. That said, it makes an earnest attempt to show the deeply flawed way men try to understand women. Especially, as it relates to trying to “fix her.” A theme that Murakami hits upon throughout the novel. The same core analysis also gets turned on its head at points. Murakami asks us, through the multiple “what do you want” conversations, if anyone can ever really understand themselves. These simple questions and more are explored in a world brought to life in painstaking detail. Murakami’s way of creating environments you get fully immersed in is almost without equal. In this one, music, food, and literature make this fictional story more tactile. Once the environment is established, he effortlessly pulls you into the most sensitive topics through his characters’ words and actions. The experiences become psychologically engrossing and cause you to slip between reading and reliving your own life. I wished I could have experienced Toru’s love-worn journey when I was about the same point in life. This coming-of-age story has some perspective-shifting lessons on understanding others and oneself that a young mind needs to know. Especially when still finding your place in the world. I know much of its dialogue and character interactions will seem far-fetched and dated today. However, it challenges us to face the world as it is, and remains timeless in doing so. I simply could not put this book down. In fact, I realize that everything else in the world blurs out while I’m engrossed in a Murakami novel. I fully see why this one in particular is the quintessential Murakami book loved by millions over. Even today, this mid-century Tokyo story seems universally accessible and relevant. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to pick up my next Murakami book.

I read Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and gave it 5 stars. This one just didn't do it for me.

The blurb on the back of the book mentions the blending of the music, mood and 60s culture, but I didn't feel that the music references added much to the book at all. I guess I was prepared for the constant mentioning of music pieces after reading Kafka on the Shore, but it doesn't really add anything here. In fact, because the chosen pieces and lyrics have little to do with the novel, it's a bit distracting. There are about 24 instances of specific pieces being named, and one of those has 51 pieces being played at one occasion.

The women in the novel are mostly emotionally weak. They can't seem to survive without their men. The men are deeply devoted on one hand, and slaves to their sexual desires on the other. None of these people are enjoying life. The book doesn't have the beautiful prose of Kafka on the Shore, or the strange concept; it's just a depressing story reminding us that suicide is contagious, and dashed dreams can be debilitating.