Genre: Tragic Romance, Psychological Fiction Published: 1987 Pages: 351 Tags: Death, Trauma, Bildungsroman Okay, I gave it a second chance, but I’m still skeptical. Although I enjoy reading emotional stories rooted in real-life suffering, I often struggled to grasp Murakami’s point in several places. Set in 1960s Tokyo, the story is narrated by Toru Watanabe, a 37-year-old man who is suddenly pulled into memories of his youth when he hears the Beatles' song “Norwegian Wood.” Watanabe is the kind of character who seems to attract — or be drawn toward — deeply troubled, emotionally complex people. Norwegian Wood explores a tale of love, loss, and the unsettling feeling of things left unfinished. The traumatic bond between Watanabe and Naoko, a fragile woman grieving the loss of her boyfriend Kizuki (Watanabe’s best friend), seems to be born from shared pain. Later, we’re introduced to Midori — vibrant, bold, and unpredictable. Watanabe finds himself torn between the tragic pull of h...
Genre: Tragic Romance, Psychological Fiction
Published: 1987
Pages: 351
Tags: Death, Trauma, Bildungsroman
Okay, I gave it a second chance, but I’m still skeptical. Although I enjoy reading emotional stories rooted in real-life suffering, I often struggled to grasp Murakami’s point in several places.
Set in 1960s Tokyo, the story is narrated by Toru Watanabe, a 37-year-old man who is suddenly pulled into memories of his youth when he hears the Beatles' song “Norwegian Wood.”
Watanabe is the kind of character who seems to attract — or be drawn toward — deeply troubled, emotionally complex people. Norwegian Wood explores a tale of love, loss, and the unsettling feeling of things left unfinished. The traumatic bond between Watanabe and Naoko, a fragile woman grieving the loss of her boyfriend Kizuki (Watanabe’s best friend), seems to be born from shared pain. Later, we’re introduced to Midori — vibrant, bold, and unpredictable. Watanabe finds himself torn between the tragic pull of his past with Naoko and the uncertain potential of a future with Midori.
While I appreciate the narrative being driven by young characters burdened with heavy emotions — which adds a raw, unfiltered tone to the novel — it was, at times, uncomfortably graphic in its portrayal of intimacy. Some of those scenes felt unnecessary and distracting.
Watanabe is portrayed as a quiet yet intellectually rich university student, but the women around him often feel like devices for emotional or physical stimulation, rather than fully developed characters in their own right.
Murakami touches on mental illness, lingering grief, the ache of memory, and the search for meaning in life. I did appreciate the references to music throughout — they added a soft, nostalgic mood to the story. Despite dealing with heavy topics like self-harm and emotional trauma, the book maintains a strangely calm and moody tone which i must agree adds to the haunting.
If you're someone who enjoys exploring different emotional landscapes or are open to unconventional storytelling, I’d recommend giving Norwegian Wood a try — even if only once.
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