Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
An Eerily Poetic and Accurate Portrayal of A YOUNG ADULTS MIND
Not only is this novel one of the most influential pieces of writing in my 22 year life, but also Murakami is my all time favourite author and I don’t think anyone is going to ever dislodge him from that place. Therefore it only seemed fitting that the first piece of work in this ‘series’ would be the first Murakami novel I read.
In these ‘reviews’ which are a loose term, nothing will be spoiled as I feel all of these works deserve to be truly and faithfully experienced for the first time.
Norwegian Woods is a story of loss, sexuality and self discovery. Despite being set in 1960s Japan, a setting I obviously cannot relate to, the novels themes transcended its setting. Despite being half way across the world and being 50 plus years in the future, I connected with the protagonist more so than I ever have in my life with any protagonist in any medium.
Murakami explores the deepest and darkest crevasse of the human mind without taking it to the extremes. Addressing issues such as mental health, discovering love and finding your place in the world Norwegian Wood exposes the flaws in how humans confront these situations without putting our characters through farfetched situations.
As a young man first reading this novel almost everything our protagonist Toru goes through was something I could relate to. Whether it be his worldly opinions being moulded by his surroundings at University or be it his first sexual encounters that the author explores. These timeless themes resonated with me deeply as at the time I was going through the same phase of life as Toru and found myself comparing his thought process to my own.
When an author is able to make the reader deeply internalise and personify a character, so much so it makes the reader question their own decisions, it shows there is a level of understanding of the human psyche that is unparalleled.
in conclusion Norwegian Wood on the surface is already an excellent heart wrenching novel about the pangs of young life, but on a deeper level it is an in-depth analysis and exposure piece on the flaws of the human conscience.
Purchase the novel now!