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This novel is easily one of my all-time favorite books. I tried writing a review, but it felt so inadequate compared to others, I actually deleted it. After a lot of rethinking, I'm hoping I can finally do justice to Murakami's work.

The title itself, Norwegian Wood, initially made me think of loneliness. Being alone in a vast forest just feels isolating. But the book evoked more sadness and helplessness than simple loneliness.

It's named after the Beatles song, which has very simple lyrics: A guy meets a girl, they hang out at her place, and he ends up crashing in the bathroom while she goes to work. Murakami takes that feeling and expands it, making it palpable �� the scent of the sea, the gentle breeze, the feel of skin, the dust, the hazy nights, a vague longing, and almost dreamlike imagery. This creates Watanabe's world. It's a subtle, almost indescribable feeling �� hazy yet real, alluring yet hard to explain. Norwegian Wood itself seems to symbolize that very feeling.

Some call it a love story, others a realist novel. It's a bit of both, really. Murakami himself doesn't consider it just a love story, and I understand why. The core of the story is about love, but the way it's told has a strong realist element.

The story follows Watanabe, a college student in 1960s Tokyo. He's dealing with the suicide of his best friend, Kizuki, and the impact it has on Naoko, who was close to both of them. Their shared grief leads to a complex relationship.

Watanabe eventually finds himself in a new relationship with Midori, who is vibrant and optimistic. However, his feelings for Naoko linger, creating a classic love triangle. The novel explores themes of loss, love, loneliness, and the search for meaning in a world marked by death.

Set in Japan during the '60s and '70s, it portrays the often-confused love lives of young adults. Post-war Japan was experiencing rapid economic growth, and the social atmosphere was similar to the West in many ways. Sexual openness, even promiscuity, was common. This context is essential for understanding the characters' choices, which might seem shocking if viewed through a modern lens.

Like young people in America at the time, Japanese youth struggled with a sense of emptiness and nihilism, partly fueled by the hippie movement. Depression, mental illness, and suicide rates were rising. This is reflected in the story's pervasive sense of death and adds to the overall sadness.

The novel deals frankly with Japanese sexual and suicide culture. "Sex" can represent so many things �� emotions, ethics, and more. Many writers struggle to depict sex in a way that's erotic but not vulgar, but Murakami gets it just right. His descriptions are objective and straightforward; sex is presented as a part of life, sexy but not gratuitous.

A key theme is the "separation of sex and love." Love isn't always the traditional merging of body and spirit. Naoko clearly loves Nagasawa, but her body resists him. Conversely, she may not truly love Watanabe, but she's physically comfortable with him. Because sex carries emotional weight, Naoko questions the authenticity of her feelings. This disconnect is likely a significant factor in her eventual suicide.

Although there's a love triangle, the book isn't structured like a typical love story. It's less about the relationships between the 3 and more about the characters' inner thoughts, feelings, and how they change over time.

Watanabe has a certain quality that attracts women. He's a reader, a music lover, a thinker, and someone who appreciates solitude. He's both sensitive and rational, is obsessed with The Great Gatsby, and, most importantly, is genuinely sincere with himself and others. He loves both Naoko and Midori, but Hatsumi is probably his ideal. She's barely in the book, but she comes across as quiet, rational, humorous, kind, and elegant.

Hatsumi represents a kind of youthful longing for purity. Watanabe has said he longs for purity, but those who embody it are all gone. Nagasawa's death, and later Hatsumi's suicide, represent a loss of that ideal. This is why Watanabe breaks off his friendship with Kizuki after Hatsumi's death �� because Kizuki, in Murakami's words, is "morally bankrupt." Gatsby, in The Great Gatsby, is another example of someone who endures hardship but maintains his purity. Watanabe's pursuit of purity is part of his own personal growth.

You might wonder how Watanabe can be considered "pure" when he sleeps with multiple women. It's important to remember that these encounters happen before he's serious about Naoko. Even with Midori, he holds back until he's sure of his feelings. Once he's committed to someone, his attitude toward sex changes, and he takes on a sense of responsibility.

Midori is a character I particularly like. She's quirky, kind, sincere, optimistic, strong, and passionate. She goes to a prestigious girls' school and lives a difficult life. She deals with her parents' illnesses and deaths, family burdens, and the pain of loss. Yet, she remains remarkably optimistic. Her words and actions exude strength and youthful energy. She saves money meant for a bra to buy cooking utensils, prepares delicious meals, and jokingly says her father emigrated to Uruguay instead of being ill. Her thoughts jump around, she boldly flirts with Watanabe, and she's genuinely sincere with others, which I find incredibly endearing.

The novel's ending isn't in the final paragraph, but a few paragraphs earlier, when Watanabe, now an international journalist, hears Norwegian Wood at an airport. He thinks of all the people he's lost and is overcome with tears. He can't let go, and he realizes that Naoko never truly loved him. So, he turns to writing and records his memories of her.

Murakami uses a documentary-like style and poetic language to depict young people's search for love and individuality in a complex modern world. He goes beyond typical love stories and explores deeper themes of life.

Despite its heaviness, the novel is a classic for a reason. It resonates with young readers, perhaps because it captures their own uncertainties and anxieties. But the real magic is in Murakami's masterful use of language. (I read it in Chinese translation, by the way.) His writing is vivid and precise, bringing the characters, their actions, and their emotions to life. Every nuance, every flaw, is perfectly captured. This is the mark of a truly great writer, with passages that are meant to be reread and savored.

5 / 5 stars

My other reviews of Murakami's Work:
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
Norwegian Wood
1Q84
Hear the Wind Sing
Kafka on the Shore
Sputnik Sweetheart
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
South of the Border, West of the Sun
After Dark