Book Review - Norwegian Wood

by Haruki Murakami
This is my second Murakami novel and I enjoyed it more than my first, Kafka on the Shore. I was pleased that there was no supernatural component. Norwegian Wood is a story about a college age boy in the late sixties and his somewhat peculiar relationships. The title is in reference to the popular Beatles song. The main character is introspective and likable. While I found myself thinking at times “this is a little weird”, his character is captivating enough that I couldn’t stop reading. However, it is not an uplifting read. A sad current flows through the entire book and the ending left me feeling that the lives of all would always be weighted with sadness. It’s hard to tell how much the reflective nature of the characters represents Japanese mainstream, but since it was a big hit in Japan, it makes me think it strikes a familiar cord in the culture. Possibly a culture that accepts life is tragic, death by suicide is not so rare, and loneliness is something to be endured rather than fixed.