A review by astridrv
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I liked the prose: it's efficient, sensitive, poetic, natural. There are some scenes, some imagery, that will remain with me like paintings. Otherwise, I did not enjoy any of the characters, the narrator's misogyny made it hard to get through the book, and I am left to feel unsure about the value of the observations about life, death, and mental illness given throughout this tale. I will give it this: both the ending and one specific character arc added a note of mystery that will stay in my head for a while.
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