Norwegian Wood

Last week I finally completed the novel that had been meaning to read for 3 months now, Norwegian Wood

What makes us the most normal,” said Reiko, “is knowing that we’re not normal.

I completed this novel during my trip to Pokhara and boy it was worth it. It has been an intense surreal experience to read Murakami, his writing style and the story of Norwegian wood. It is one of those life-changing books that completely changes your perspective of love, death and illness of body and mind. The language is simple yet beautiful and lyrical. The story is in the first person told by Toru Watanabe from the time he joined in college after losing his best friend and only friend Kizuki. He never came to term with the suicide of his friend and created his own world. Toru is haunted by death, loneliness, and wanderlust, and yet Murakami clearly does not add melodrama in it. Even the best parts of the book are portraited through conversations or through letters.

Nobody likes being alone that much. I don’t go out of my way to make friends, that’s all. It just leads to disappointment.

I was devouring every page of the book very slowly than my other reads and the ending made me feel quite empty, searching for every possible explanation how Toru ended up on the internet. This book has opened a new style of writing for me and I am planning to continue my journey on this Murakami world, even though other books are told to be quite a fantasy based than this one. I have already purchased the Kafka on the Shore which was most recommended after this one. Who knows how long it will take to complete that but that’s something that I will do. I am sure of it. Well, this book also introduced me to the Beatles’ song Norwegian Wood which is pretty good and that’s a plus. Recommend this book to anyone 10/10.