A review by birdybutt24
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

1.0

This book made me deeply uncomfortable. It felt inconsequential and meaningless. It's themes, loosely based around sexuality and coming of age, felt forced and the characters felt unrealistic. Just another male fantasy with a "nice guy" protagonist and unrealistic depictions of women. Several scenes were very questionable, such as the scenes of statutory rape (that the author painted as being the minor's fault). The characterization of the women is almost criminal, they have no agency as characters and all play a role of being some sort of convoluted metaphor for growing up. These women are flat characters who don't develop in any way. And if I have to read someone describe breasts as "supple" in a sexual way one more time I swear... Overall the characters were flat, boring, and unrealistic and the story was placid. It was difficult to get through without laughing out loud or rolling my eyes honestly. 0/10 Do not recommend and if I could I would give it negative 10 billion stars.