Norwegian Wood

From the bestselling author of Kafka on the Shore: A magnificent coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, "a masterly novel" (The New York Times Book Review) blending the music, the mood, and the ethos that were the sixties with a young man's hopeless and heroic first love.

 

Now with a new introduction by the author.

Toru, a 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. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

 

Stunning and elegiac, Norwegian Wood first propelled Haruki Murakami into the forefront of the literary scene.

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298 pages

Average rating: 7.1

216 RATINGS

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10 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Namu
Oct 16, 2024
6/10 stars
The sadness and thoughts of the protagonist got to me pretty soon. Interesting characters and a timeline of Japan I wasnt familiar with which made the imaginations fun. I liked the somber tint in all the pages. The ending was expected though you'd find yourself wanting the opposite for the characters. But it was the right one I believe. Few parts of the ending did not sit well with me but it was an entertaining read nonetheless.
Tahnious
Jul 10, 2024
8/10 stars
Depressing yet Captivating.
JungMirai
Oct 10, 2023
One of my favorites. At first it might seem boring, but when you feel the vibe, you can't stop! Love it!
E Clou
May 10, 2023
8/10 stars
Murakami books are all over the place. It's not a consistent standard, and you can't predict if you'll like one based on the others you've read. But I enjoy how very readable his books are. I find myself flying through his books, even the ones I think are terrible. This was my favorite one I've read so far, but I still didn't love it-- the ending was especially bothersome to me, but I did love parts of it. At first you think, oh I hope this doesn't turn into a laundry list of who this vaguely boring male character sleeps with, and then for a second you think- oh it's so wonderful, it's about life, and loneliness, and death-- and then bam he hits you with his laundry list. But for the middle of the book, I give it 4 stars.
Gerald’s Books.
Feb 14, 2023
8/10 stars
Took me 10 days to read start to finish. Fastest I’ve ever read a book. I got halfway through it a few years ago but I genuinely think I was too young to understand what the book is actually about…. Or at least what I interpret it to be about now. Definitely hit home in a lot of ways & definitely worth reading 300 pages just for the concept of the book to tie together in the last 2 chapters. Great book. The feeling I have of the story being over kind of ties into the feeling I get about the meaning of the book!!! Would recommend to a friend. Definitely a mature friend tho who is intrigued by deeper meanings & can take things for more than what they’re worth at face value lol. Thanks Harry.

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