Book Reviews: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Intro:

I think Norwegian Wood is a great novel to consume in pieces over a journey. It lends itself well to stopping and starting but connects its pieces to a gratifying whole. I don't necessarily find this work to be feminist or misogynist but gender roles do play a role in the overall story. I think if you go into this novel expecting it to be incredibly profound you may end up disappointed but if you go into it expecting a rough and depressing coming of age piece you may be delighted. Depression and suicide do play large parts in the thematic elements of this novel so if you'd rather not engage with those topics I'd recommend skipping this. Finally I do often see Norwegian Wood recommended as a romance novel and as a reader of this genre I would say romance is a tool in this novel for a greater thematic purpose but hardly the focus or even the feel of this work. 

On grief & depression:

I love the way Murakami writes about depression and sorrow. He was really able to capture a lonely and alienating isolation for his characters that felt both very real and pointed. Other than explicitly referencing suicide, Murakami is great at describing the way characters manage to speak so closely to one another and miss connecting with one another, everyone is communicating and yet nobody is communicating or actually able to find commonality. I loved the Murakami talked about Naoko & the main character's different ways of experiencing grief after the death of Kizuki, especially in reference to loss of innocence and the feeling of having some vital experience of youth stripped away I found these passages very enlightening. 

On sex:

The way Murakami writes about sex was intriguing but not entirely liberating. In some ways it is sort of counter to Japanese modern culture to give women agency when it comes to their sexual desire and I appreciate Murakami's attempts at doing this in this novel. However, I feel in this attempt Murakami also over-sexualized the women characters in this novel and they seem to sometimes be placeholders of the main character's abilities to connect (or lack of ability) throughout various points in this novel. I would say sex in this novel was used effectively but overused as a tool to further encompass the ways characters attempt to communicate in Norwegian Wood's lonely world. I think for my personal taste this book just had an overall horniness that I was not necessarily vibing with. 

On references:

I think one of the hardest aspects of connecting to a translated work (especially one from a different period) are the use of references. Many of the authors and pieces of media that Murakami draws from in this novel are works that the average American reader would have experienced ad nauseaum. It can be hard to connect with his frequent mentions of Fitzgerald and The Beatles when these references have become culturally trite. It is interesting how Murakami used the trope of reference to show how our interests can seek to connect us to the surrounding world, our friends, and sometimes even draw us away from society or culture at large. 

In conclusion:

With the knowledge that this work is a departure from Murakami's usual style, I'm interesting in delving into his bibliography further. Murakami is a rather ubiquitous author so I'd heard many opinions of his writing (usually negative) and was glad to finally be able to form my own opinion. Overall, I wouldn't say reading this felt groundbreaking in anyway but it captured a vibe. Murakami seems to be an expert at conveying ennui and apathetic detachment in an ever changing world.