Murakami story - boy meets girl. And another girl. Who will he choose? (Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami)

Member Name: keran77

Product:	Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Date:	13/09/09 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A simpler story than other Murakami works. Interesting story, beautifully written.

Disadvantages: Lacks some of the Murakami magic.

This was my very first Murakami experience. I loved the gold presentation box and the two books: one with a red cover and the other in green. It was first published in 1987 in Japan and was later translated into English.

The story is set in the late 60s. Watanabe is the main character who has many love affairs. He hears the Beatles' version of Norweigan Wood (thus the title) and remembers being a teenager. At the time his best friend killed herself and he forms a relationship with a girlfriend of hers. She suffers from mental illness and ends up moving away to receive help. He remains at college and falls in love with an interesting young woman called Midori. He has to make a choice between the two.

Murakami writes that death exists as a part of life. And this is what the book seems to be about: emotions, the feelings associated with love, whether good or bad.

What I liked most about this book was that it made me reflect on the songs that take me back to a different time and some of the emotions written about in the story. We all have songs like that, that make us remember things past.

Compared with other Murakami stories, this one may seem like a simple one. However it is still full of crazy characters, bizarre themes and bizarre scenes that Murakami is reknown for. Yet it lacks something. And that would have to be the surreal nature of Murakami's other books where animals speak, inexplicable events occur some how and there's a hint of enchantment in the air.


All in all a good read. I'm glad I read it before the other works of Murakami!

Summary: Murakami says death exists as a part of life - as do love and pain.