Rating: 4/5
For avid Murakami readers, Norwegian Wood is unlike the majority of his other novels. Murakami is known for his use of magical realism and mind bending, surreal plots. Norwegian Wood, however, is more of a coming of age, complicated love story.
Set in the 1960’s Japan, the main character, Toru Watanabe, finds himself reconnecting with his best friend’s girlfriend, Naoko. Naoko and Toru are drawn together through grief over the unexpected suicide of Kizuki (Toru’s best friend and Naoko’s boyfriend).
Toru feels a special connection with Naoko and needless to say, they fall in love. Sadly, their love is doomed from the very beginning. Not long after their reunion, Naoko faces difficulties with her mental health and has to leave town.
Toru’s life is further complicated when he meets the outspoken Midori, who he also falls in love with. His love for Midori, however, is very different from his deep, profound connection with Naoko.
Norwegian Wood explores themes of friendship, love and loss. Threads of nostalgia and melancholy are interwoven through Murakami’s eloquent word choice and artful descriptions.
I gave the book four stars because I love Murakami’s characteristic slow paced writing style where he focuses on a few characters and their personal development throughout the story. He tackles difficult topics such as love, death and mental illness in a tactful and touching way. However, I found it lacked Murakami’s originality and didn’t quite live up to expectations.
Overall, I loved the book and couldn’t wait to get a moment in the busy day to sit back, relax and read!
Written by : Nicole Plumridge
