Review by fictionalcass - Norwegian Wood

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fictionalcass 's review for:

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

3.5

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have complicated feelings about this book. There were a lot of elements that I really did not care for, particularly the way that the female characters (though it wasn’t exclusive to them) were described throughout the novel, as well as the way that sex and mental health are often discussed in this book. Not to rely too much on slang, but the perfect way to describe it is that it often gave me the ick. Part of this is a result of the time period, but that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable when those things are being discussed even if you think of it as “dated” in those areas.

This book came to me in a sort of strange way, and it was kind of a “why not” impulse read despite knowing next to nothing other than the source I learned about it from saying that it was “pretentious”. That being said, I would say that overall there was a lot that I enjoyed as well, and I think unfortunately I sometimes really vibe with pretentious things.

I think one thing that Murakami does very well throughout this book is the characterization of Watanabe. This is a character who is completely adrift throughout the entirety of the book, and it seems that every time he gets his feet under him the world shifts again. The thing that stands out to me most about Watanabe is that he is struck by that incredibly selfish and passive objectification that so many people fall into when they are on that cusp of adulthood and searching for the great meaning of things in every interaction, desperate for a meaningful connection in the wake of tragedy. It’s so clearly there on the page that that is his primary struggle, and sometimes it was very powerful and brought me back to when I was a 18-20 year old and making decisions a lot of 18-20 year olds are making.

Naoko’s role in this story is something layered in so many different blankets of tragedy, but for awhile, she also represents something so hopeful. The juxtaposition of her and Midori was at times incredibly frustrating as a reader being subjected to Watanabe’s understanding of both of these women. While they are both very distinct individuals with clear character traits that flesh them out, the way that Watanabe views them sometimes felt so reductive. Which goes back to the point of him being in the headspace that he is, it is still not always the most enjoyable reading experience.

Reiko was the character that was often the most out of place to me. She’s a key part of some of the most beautiful parts of the book (her, Naoko, and Watanabe sitting in the comfortable silence of the candlelight, her playing the guitar for them) but she also brings about two parts of the book that I actively disliked and made me quite uncomfortable (the piano lessons story and her and Watanabe’s interactions at the end of the book).

There are so many parts of this book that are absolutely beautiful statements on grief, life, and death, and how those three things are so intertwined. These parts are almost perfectly balanced with the commentary of the desire or need to “fix” people or that people who are struggling are “broken” in some way. It felt like every time I was started to really invest in the story, something was dropped in that had me back into frustration and questioning if I wanted to keep reading it.

Ultimately this was a book made me think a lot, and there were equal parts I liked and disliked, and ultimately I’m glad that I ended up reading it, and I am definitely more curious to pick up some of his other works now, as this is the first one I’ve read.

Content Warnings