A review by maidinnah
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Even though Murakami’s infamous male gaze is prevalent, Norwegian Wood was so devastating and tragic that after I finished reading it, I just sort of checked out of reality for a bit to process the book. The novel’s melancholic and breathtaking prose captures the feeling of being trapped in the forests of your own despair, the rest of the world spins and burns around you, and you must choose whether or not you spin and burn with it. This story is more than a romance, it’s about the most important, life-or-death decision of all — how we cope in the face of grief. 
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