whespau25 's review for:

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
4.5
challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
If you’re into Murakami, this is the book to read. Norwegian Wood is a contemporary classic. The characters are complex, even awful at times—just like we are. Human.


I know Murakami is known for being very descriptive, but this is the book where I felt it the most: I could almost stand inside the scenes—the airplane, the school, the apartment. Every place felt vividly real, like I’d been there before, or like I could go there now if I closed my eyes.


And the music mentioned throughout? Easily one of my favorite Murakami playlists. Sometimes I think this book could’ve been written by a melancholy millennial obsessed with oldies, not a 70-year-old Japanese man. That’s how timeless and emotionally tuned in it feels.


The only reason I don’t give it five stars is that scene—the one with the music teacher, Tsukuru’s friend. It’s disturbingly close to pedophilia, and it left a bad taste I couldn’t shake off.


Still, this book stays with you. It lingers in the body. It’s tender, haunting, and real.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings