Name: Norwegian Wood
ISBN: 9781613834732

Haruki Murakami

Jay Rubin

Norwegian Wood

ノルウェイの森 / Noruwei no mori

Vasilia Alexandra

Brett Lister

moira

Cassandra Tang

If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.

Imzy

Anna

Helen 

kemi

Beatriz Salvador 

Death exists—in a paperweight, in four red and white balls on a billiard table—and we go on living and breathing it into our lungs like fine dust.

When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.

AGAK GILAA BACANYAAA all the women in this book deserve better 

rena

The tragic death of their best friend has a profound influence on the passionate relationship between Toru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, and Naoko, an introspective, beauty, as Toru finds himself drawn to an independent, sexually liberated young woman. Original. 50,000 first printing.

While halfway through, I remember thinking, maybe this is the one Murakami book I won’t hate, but when I read that last chapter, he proved me wrong. Creepy, predatory. Though I have a few theories, and if they were how he intended for it to be, then it’s actually good. 

secam se da sam ovu knjigu, dok sam je citala, dozivljavala kao tamnu modru plavu boju

Natalija

"she breasted boobily down the stairs and also bill evans was playing for some reason"

young dzugashvili

One of my first audiobooks as I walked the streets of Tokyo. Absolutely hypnotic and mellow. I loved it :) 

Owen Kasparian

no matter how horny or freaked out this book seemed, it was still so profound and had this raw uncensored essence that made me feel so deeply for the characters that i even cried at the end because of the fact how sad it was … i’ll probably be thinking about this book for a while so that’s why im definitely giving it 5 stars. don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes were quite excessive and random at times but i think i focused more on the complexity of the characters and all the other topics this book dealt with, that’s how i made myself feel more comfortable reading it with that perspective 

micki

The writing style sits very comfortably within my soul. 

Nicole Apostol

The writing style sits very comfortably within my soul. 

Shit though, Murakami is a horny fuck. 

Read the haunting love story that turned Murakami into a literary superstar. When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past. 'Evocative, entertaining, sexy and funny; but then Murakami is one of the best writers around' Time Out 'Such is the exquisite, gossamer construction of Murakami's writing that everything he chooses to describe trembles with symbolic possibility' Guardian 'This book is undeniably hip, full of student uprisings, free love, booze and 1960s pop, it's also genuinely emotionally engaging, and describes the highs of adolescence as well as the lows' Independent on Sunday

beatnik misogyny and insufferable main character. it still moved me despite it's flaws. the atmosphere is intricate and quaint and i appreciate its nods to the titular song and the era it came from. 

kate 

Excessive sex is forefront in Murakami’s novels; 

my understanding of his writing is sex isn’t obscene or to sensationalize, rather it is one way to try out deep intimacy between his characters (with vaginal penetration being most powerful and substantial); 

Another way deep intimacy manifests in his stories, but as more a build-up than a release: listening to jazz records with somebody in the privacy of a closed room.

At the end of the day, although innately gendered, I think men and women are equal in his stories (they get objectified and objectify, they get sexualized and sexualize, they are ill-fated and are forced into roles and responsibilities that bring them anguish all the same) and why I don’t agree with that statement at all

but idk I’ve only read 2 murakmais so far

william wukkuan

Excessive sex is forefront in Murakami’s novels; 

my understanding of his writing is sex isn’t obscene or to sensationalize, rather it is one way to try out deep intimacy between his characters (with vaginal penetration being most powerful and substantial); 

Another way deep intimacy manifests in his stories, but as more a build-up than a release: listening to jazz records with somebody in the privacy of a closed room.

At the end of the day, although innately gendered, I think men and women are equal in his stories (they get objectified and objectify, they get sexualized and sexualize, they are ill-fated and are forced into roles and responsibilities that bring them anguish all the same) and why I don’t agree with that statement at all

but idk I’ve only read 2 murakmais so far

the depiction of grief in different perspective was heartfelt however the random sex and the way women are perceived in the book bothers me so much. 

teia

i kinda get it but at the same time i don’t really. finished this on the plane and wasn’t really loving it until the ending made it better. still not sure how i feel about watanabe tho

Luoyi

I don’t know if this was the best book to start with murakami’s work but I do enjoy his writing style. His detailed writing is what builds the atmosphere and I think that is what carried the overall tone in this book. The underlying theme regarding sexuality and intimacy was too much for me but I can appreciate how he works through other topics like grief, mental health and living for yourself.

elizabeth ❀

😵‍💫Fixated on unimportant details and descriptions. 

💤Pointless, endless conversations and storylines. 

🤢The amount of times I said ew or what the fuck was incredibly high. 

Jovana Gjekanovikj 

😵‍💫Fixated on unimportant details and descriptions. 

💤Pointless, endless conversations and storylines. 

🤢The amount of times I said ew or what the fuck was incredibly high. 



Ich weiß nicht wie ich anfangen soll… es ist mein erstes murakami Buch und habe aufjedenfall mehr erwartet.

In diesem Buch geht es um zwei Sachen: s*x und tot. Es gibt überall verborgene Bedeutungen. Aber wenn man das wegschneidet und zum Kern geht, ist das nur noch übrig.

Es ist aber auch ein starkes buch. Es erzählt keine besondere Geschichte. sondern untersucht den menschlichen Geist und die Geschichten, die in der normalen Vergangenheit von gewöhnlichen Menschen um uns herum versteckt sind.

Am Ende weiß ich nicht, was ich zu diesem Buch sagen soll. Ich mochte es manchmal und habe es manchmal gehasst. Wenn dieses Buch Murakamis Werke repräsentieren würde, würde ich nie ein anderes von ihm lesen. Aber ja ich weiß dass es nicht so ist! 

Bin ich froh, dass ich dieses Buch gelesen habe? Würde ich es empfehlen? Die Antwort, die mir für beide Fragen in den Sinn kommt, ist nein. Es kann sehr deprimierend sein und hat mich  emotional belastet. Und nachdem ich fertig war, hatte ich nicht das Gefühl, dass dies ein Buch war, das man  unbedingt lesen muss. Es war nicht besonders gut, und es sendete keine wichtige Botschaft. Aber aus irgendeinem unerklärlichen Grund war es immer noch lesenswert. In gewisser Weise.

Fatima

Ich weiß nicht wie ich anfangen soll… es ist mein erstes murakami Buch und habe aufjedenfall mehr erwartet.

In diesem Buch geht es um zwei Sachen: s*x und tot. Es gibt überall verborgene Bedeutungen. Aber wenn man das wegschneidet und zum Kern geht, ist das nur noch übrig.

Es ist aber auch ein starkes buch. Es erzählt keine besondere Geschichte. sondern untersucht den menschlichen Geist und die Geschichten, die in der normalen Vergangenheit von gewöhnlichen Menschen um uns herum versteckt sind.

Am Ende weiß ich nicht, was ich zu diesem Buch sagen soll. Ich mochte es manchmal und habe es manchmal gehasst. Wenn dieses Buch Murakamis Werke repräsentieren würde, würde ich nie ein anderes von ihm lesen. Aber ja ich weiß dass es nicht so ist! 

Bin ich froh, dass ich dieses Buch gelesen habe? Würde ich es empfehlen? Die Antwort, die mir für beide Fragen in den Sinn kommt, ist nein. Es kann sehr deprimierend sein und hat mich  emotional belastet. Und nachdem ich fertig war, hatte ich nicht das Gefühl, dass dies ein Buch war, das man  unbedingt lesen muss. Es war nicht besonders gut, und es sendete keine wichtige Botschaft. Aber aus irgendeinem unerklärlichen Grund war es immer noch lesenswert. In gewisser Weise.

The thing he wanted to convey tried to like to make an impact of maybe overshadowed by “going with the flow” character of Watanabe. for sure it's a vigorous episode in the fiction that will make you cry and soothe the broken in you as well. 

Ayushee

Maureen

If I could describe Norwegian Wood in one word: liberated. Definitely not like the usual books I’ve read, but you can’t remain in your comfort zone forever, right? I think it applies to books as well. I had to look past a lot of things in order to appreciate the book in all its splendor. One thing I really loved was how introspective the protagonist, Toru was. The way he describes his surroundings and feelings is extremely vivid. If you were to lift his words from the story and situate it in this world we live in, it would not make sense. One might think, “nobody actually talks like that.” However, the world Murakami creates is a special one, and so, you must be willing to suspend disbelief to fully immerse yourself in his work. I can’t speak much since this is my first time reading Murakami, but it’s what everyone else is saying. I really am looking forward to reading more.

A Japanese Catcher in the Rye. Toru Watanabe is a character that could match Holden in many ways. The story is catching, but ends up being a little bit dry by the end. You want to get through it as fast as possible. Still great and interesting writing from Murukami as always. His stories always can make you feel like you tasted, smelled, and saw a little of Japan from afar. 

BC Hark

春樹·村上

ノルウェイの森

Katerina

** spoiler alert **
           I found Murakami’s writing intriguing and full of depth. But... this book is not worth more than 3 stars.

“Norwegian Wood” is about a Japanese boy, Toru Watanabe, who slowly steps into adulthood, which carries all the pain and frustration it always does. He is torn between future and past, and clumsily makes his way through life. 

One of the things I found interesting in “Norwegian Wood” was the character’s thoughts on death. They were naive at first and then slowly - more and more real, down to earth even. He comes to terms with what death is. He accepts it. 

One particular quote stayed with me: 

“I tried hard to forget, but there remained inside me a vague knot of air. And as time went by, the knot began to take on a clear and simple form, a form that I am able to put into words, like this: Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life.” 

Murakami writes about life (and its inevitable death) in a deep and beautiful way. I do think this is what I found most fascinating. As well as my love for the Japanese culture.

“Norwegian Wood” takes you to Japan in the 60s - through its small and big cities, the mountains, the politics even, and Tokyo’s different faces each season of the year. You get to experience everything Japan was before, and still is to this day. 

But the plot was not necessarily my thing. I have heard a lot about Murakami’s style and his deep take on life but “Norwegian Wood” wasn’t what I expected. It even disappointed me a little. 

There were too many empty scenes and heavy thoughts that don’t always suit a young boy such as Toru Watanabe. 

And last... after trying to find a deeper meaning in the ending and having to think about it a few days after I closed the book, I can say that I was not fascinated by it. 

I do understand why everything happened the way it did and why it was necessary for all events to take place. I do understand why certain things in life need to happen in order to let go of the past, but this doesn’t make me neither love nor accept the way “Norwegian Wood” ended. 

Perhaps the third star this book receives goes to The Beatles and one of their best songs. Naoko was a sentimental one, after all, and her taste in music didn’t disappoint all the sentimental souls out there. 

(I would love to read more of Murakami, but I do hope I stumble upon something better in the future.)

I was amazed at how Murakami gave the sense of atmosphere and mood impeccably. There were some quotes in the book that made me take a second and say dude Woah. I will be reading more books by him in the future definitely. :D

Lourdes Porta Fuentes

Toru Watanabe, un ejecutivo de 37 años, escucha casualmente mientras aterriza en un aeropuerto europeo una vieja canción de los Beatles, y la música le hace retroceder a su juventud, al turbulento Tokio de finales de los sesenta. Toru recuerda, con una mezcla de melancolía y desasosiego, a la inestable y misteriosa Naoko, la novia de su mejor ûy únicoû amigo de la adolescencia, Kizuki. El suicidio de éste les distancia durante un año hasta que se reencuentran en la universidad. Inician allí una relación íntima; sin embargo, la frágil salud mental de Naoko se resiente y la internan en un centro de reposo. Al poco, Toru se enamora de Midori, una joven activa y resuelta. Indeciso, sumido en dudas y temores, experimenta el deslumbramiento y el desengaño allá donde todo parece cobrar sentido: el sexo, el amor y la muerte. La situación, para él, para los tres, se ha vuelto insostenible; ninguno parece capaz de alcanzar el delicado equilibrio entre las esperanzas juveniles y la necesidad de encontrar un lugar en el mundo.

Tokio Blues

Andrea Morales

4.5 ☆’s

“desde el principio estuvimos unidos en la frontera entre la vida y la muerte.”

“hasta ahora había deseado permanecer eternamente en los diecisiete o dieciocho años. pero ya no lo pretendo. […] he cumplido veinte años. y debo pagar un precio por seguir viviendo.”

hay dos tipos de personas: los que se aferran a la vida y los que se entregan a la muerte. and this book showed both sides perfectly.

update: 5 stars esta madre me dejó mal

Noha Zainal

armoni mayes

i’m so glad to be done with this godforsaken book 
if i had to read one more mechanical ill placed sex scene i was going to gouge my eyes out