Norwegian Wood
Norwegian Wood is a quirky and deeply moving love story, set against the backdrop of student protests, free love and uncertainty that made up Japanese university life in the 1960s. The young Toru Watanabe is a struggling student who is in love with childhood friend Naoko. While Naoko is dangerously affected by a tragedy that had struck years previously and takes refuge in a remote sanitorium, Toru meets the vivacious Midori and finds his loyalties divided.
While the majority of Murakami’s writing concerns strange events and themes of the metaphysical and almost supernatural, Norgwegian Wood is a straightforward, pure-and-simple romance. This isn’t to say that it is any less profound and thought-provoking; in fact, it was the novel that catapulted Murakami into superstar status and remains one of his most popular works even to this day.
Even though the themes and storyline are less complex than some of his other books, Norwegian Wood contains all the aspects to his writing that make it so special: engaging characters, subtlety and attention to detail. Toru is likeable but completely ordinary, which makes him easier to relate to and his experiences all the more compelling. Naoko is portrayed as fragile, beautiful and tragic: precisely the way Toru sees her. The setting of the story is meticulously crafted from the author’s own memories of his student life and as a result transports the reader into the world of the characters. As the chapters progress we follow Toru through his student days and are introduced to various interesting figures but the whole affair is an emotional rollercoaster ride that conveys one fundamental decision: is it better to cling to old love or embrace the new?
Those expecting a humdrum story in which a guy has to choose between two girls with all of the formulaic incidents that go with them is in for a surprise. The writing style draws attention to the nuances of the characters and the smallest details of everyday life, giving it a very autobiographical feel which adds to the emotional power considerably.
In Summary
The pure simplicity of the story makes Norwegian Wood a perfect introduction to Murakami’s work, although existing fans might be disappointed with the lack of ‘parallel universe-jumping’ and supernatural themes that are featured in some of his other books. By creating a cast that the reader can identify with and telling the story in a brilliantly unique way, Murakami has produced a novel that tells an age-old tale and makes it a magical experience.
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