Norwegian Wood

library binding, 296 pages

Published Sept. 12, 2000 by Perfection Learning.

ISBN:
978-1-61383-473-2
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4 stars (104 reviews)

Mientras su avión aterriza en un aeropuerto europeo, Toru Watanabe, de treinta y siete años, escucha casualmente una vieja canción de los Beatles: de pronto, la música le hace retroceder a su juventud, al turbulento Tokio de finales de los sesenta. Recuerda entonces, con melancolía y desasosiego, a la inestable y misteriosa Naoko, la novia de su mejor -y único- amigo de la adolescencia, Kizuki, y cómo el suicidio de éste les distanció durante un año, hasta que se reencontraron en la universidad. Iniciaron allí una relación íntima, truncada, sin embargo, por la frágil salud mental de Naoko, a quien hubo que internar en un centro de reposo. Al poco, Watanabe se enamoró de Midori, una joven activa y resuelta. Indeciso, acosado por los temores, Watanabe sólo experimentaba el deslumbramiento y el desengaño allá donde todo debía cobrar sentido: el sexo, el amor y la muerte. La insostenible situación le …

37 editions

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Extremely sick right from the beginning till the end.
Maybe when one is new to Haruki, it is different and that difference seems enticing.
But now that is my third book of Haruki, I don't think I would be reading any of his books every again.

The way he pens down the emotions of the characters seems very real.
But the world isn't as messed up and sick as the characters in his books.
The world is better, isn't it?

Well, a week after reading this book had an epiphany and a lot of things about the book made more sense. I actually like this book.
So updated the review and rating.

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This was my first book by the author Murakami I have read. It took me only a few days because I don't wanted to stop reading at all. Here my thoughts about the book:

Style
---

First of all, the style how Murakami tells stories. Especially how he describes the characters and their behaviour. I felt with them and it never crossed my mind that the characters behaved in a way I can't understand. The book is a lot about the transition of childhood to adulthood with many sexual sences. But I never found them disgusting or in a way 'too much'. For me it was more like the expression of love.

Story
----

Murakamis main character is Toru Watanabe, age 19-23 while he studies in Tokio. The story is written in first person and has next to Toru about 4 other main characters: Naoko, Midori, Nagawase (spelled a bit …

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

My 3rd time read and still counting! The way Murakami depicts the entire society of Japan late 1960s through his characters is amazing: quiet and solitary Watanabe, depressed and traumatized Naoko, hurt but accepted Reiko, free-living spirit Midori (oh how much I love her), ambitious and arrogant Nagasawa, strange cleanliness and habit of Stormtrooper, etc. The novel seems so depressing at first since death and struggles exist everywhere. But in that moment life, love and hope appear from the dark.
"Hey, there, Kizuki, I thought. Unlike you, I've chosen to live - and to live the best I know how... I'm going to mature. I'm going to be an adult. Because that's what I have to do. I always used to think I'd like to stay 17 or 18 if I could. But not anymore. I'm not a teenager anymore... I'm 20 now. And I have to pay the price …

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This is the kind of book that stays with you. A coming-of-age story of a boy, who is as confused with his emotions as he is conflicted in the matters of heart. Despite essentially revolving around a love story, the book throws some light behind the disturbing and complex cases of deaths & suicides while forcing you to think about living in the present and enjoying life to the fullest.

This was the first Murakami for me, and I’ll surely be reading more of his books. Although originally being in Japanese, the translated version doesn’t feel translated at all, despite some hiccups here and there. All the characters are solid as well as interesting and the prose is beautiful. Some of the lines manage to bring a sigh from the hopeless romantic in me!

I’ll leave you with an excerpt:

“I have always loved [person A], and I still love …

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

That bit where you finish a Marukami and begin a three week period of figuring out all the hidden meanings and metaphors he's used. And even if, as claimed by the author, this was a 'straight' book, there's still that feeling of more to discover. Like did he ever figure out that Chivas Regal is, in fact, not great whiskey?

Review of 'Norwegian Wood' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Having just arrived in Hamburg, Germany, 37 year old Toru Watanabe hears an orchestral cover of The Beatles’ song “Norwegian Wood” which reminds him of his college years. In high school his best friend, Kizuki completed suicide and Watanabe moved to Tokyo for college in the hopes to escape the pain. One day he was reunited with Kizuki’s girlfriend Naoko and they sought solitude in each other’s company. However this relationship wasn’t the right solution for Naoko and she left for a secluded mountain sanatorium near Kyoto.

Norwegian Wood is often referred to as the best starting point when diving into the works of Haruki Murakami, mainly because this is one of the few books that don’t have a magical realism thread to it. This is a good place to start but what I find fascinating is the way Murakami uses magical realism to explore ideas of the mind. Colorless …

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