Murakami – Norwegian Wood – Review

The novel is the one that dragged Haruki Murakami from a six-figure readership into international stardom. Norwegian Wood has been viewed by many die-hard Murakami fans as a straightforward love story that doesn't have the “magical realism” of his other novels. This may be true; however, this novel is a sensitive and moving tale of young adult relationships, Japanese culture, and mental illness.

Our narrator is the teenage Toku Watanabe, friends with a beautiful girl, Naoko, and her boyfriend, Kazuki. All three have a particularly close bond, when out of the blue, Kazuki commits suicide, causing emotional trauma for our narrator and, more so, Naoko. Watanabe has always been in love with Naoko, but Watanabe realizes that his love is an unrequited one even at the beginning of the tale. Naoko will only truly love Kazuki, which after his suicide, creates an emotional breakdown that eventually lands her in a retreat in the mountains. Our protagonist is there to help put her back together again.

After reading a few Murakami non-fiction texts, one can see the author in the main character. Although there's a bit of the writer in all their creative works, we can read about Murakami's university years, his intense love for literature and music in its many forms freely expressed in this story. What I found interesting was how the author decided on the novel's title. “Norwegian Wood” is the title of the famous acoustic song by The Beatles.

Before setting-off to read the novel, I re-listened to the famous tune. Only a third way through the text, it dawned on me that Murakami had built an entire novel around the lyrics of the song:

I once had a girl
Or should I say she once had me
She showed me her room
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?

She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around
And I noticed there wasn't a chair

I sat on a rug, biding my time
Drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said
"It's time for bed."

She told me she worked
In the morning, and started to laugh
I told her I didn't
And crawled off to sleep in the bath

And when I awoke, I was alone
This bird had flown
So I lit a fire
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?

For this reader, the similarities between the novel's subject and specifically its tone in the popular Beatles song, is undeniable. Despite the fact I grew up liking this song, now to hear it again, sparks images of the book's characters, especially Naoko. And this is not a bad thing at all.

More impressive still is Murakami's ability to describe mental illness in such a careful and sensitive manner. Those who have experienced depression in its many forms will appreciate the author's descriptions and gentle prose.

It is obvious why Norwegian Wood catapulted Murakami to worldwide status.

A wonderful novel.