"Norwegian Wood" is a novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, first published in Japan in 1987. The novel tells the story of Toru Watanabe, a young man who is struggling to come to terms with the suicide of his close friend Kizuki. As he navigates his grief and tries to make sense of the world around him, Toru becomes involved with two women: Naoko, Kizuki's former girlfriend, and Midori, a bright and energetic young woman who is unlike anyone he has ever met before.
The novel is set in Japan in the 1960s, a time of great social and cultural change in the country. The main characters are all university students, and the story follows their relationships and the challenges they face as they navigate their way through this tumultuous period.
One of the central themes of the novel is the idea of loss and the way in which people cope with it. Toru's relationship with Naoko is shaped by the fact that she is struggling with her own grief over Kizuki's death, and their relationship becomes a way for both of them to try to find some meaning in the aftermath of this tragic event.
Another important theme in the novel is the concept of identity and the search for one's place in the world. Toru is trying to find his own path in life, and his relationships with Naoko and Midori help him to explore different facets of his own personality and to figure out what he really wants.
Overall, "Norwegian Wood" is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of human emotion and the enduring power of love and friendship. It is a poignant reminder of the importance of being true to oneself and the need to embrace life's challenges in order to grow and find happiness.
Norwegian Wood (novel)
Will you remember that I existed, and that I stood next to you here like this? Then there is future and life. And what did others want from me? Naoko soon leaves Tokyo for a sanatorium high in the hills of Kyoto. She had the breast of a little girl. As spring turns to summer and summer turns to fall, Toru and Naoko grow closer and closer, yet still never bring up their shared past. These instances reveal the way that Midori has learned to cope with grief, and in this way, she becomes what Watanabe eventually realizes he desires: a way to release himself from the past and live on looking forward towards the future. Kobayashi — Midori's widowed father.
For people older than me, the most significant birthday was their 21st. Naoko and Midori both take Toru to their room and make love. Naoko bursts into tears, crying so forcefully that her body shakes. . There is no science fiction or magical realism. Despite his love for Naoko, Watanabe finds himself attracted to Midori as well. As Toru turns 19, he is uncertain of what he and Naoko are doing with each other, and what he himself is doing with his life more generally.
I wanted to explain to her, "I am having intercourse with you now. Throughout Norwegian Wood, Toru never seems able to define himself apart from the people around him. The thing is, it is in Murakami's style to present a lot of truisms and while in his other works, they are intertwined with the surreal in such a way that it doesn't matter whether they are huge generalisations or just really cheesy because they come from dreamlike layers echoing the absurd and the interior monologue of the character and so it isn't preachy, just something to think about. I had no idea what I was doing or what I was going to do. Unfortunately, BB deleted his page after the amazon acquisition of GR. I know that many people love it, which is totally okay.
Death, Suicide, Grief, and Existentialism Theme in Norwegian Wood
Nothing marked its perimeter — no fence, no stone curb at least not one that rose above ground level. Reiko counsels him to seize this chance for happiness and see how his relationship with Midori turns out. So taking everything into consideration I really think Murakami was getting at both the inevitability of death and the impossibility of Naoko overcoming her demons, as if she too were fated to kill herself just as Kizuki did. Worried, he goes to her apartment to find that she has moved. Subreddit dedicated to the works of author We try to keep hard rules regarding posts to a minimum, but we ask that you not post requests or links to unauthorized.
After he sees Reiko off, Watanabe calls Midori to declare his love for her. The ridiculousness of student revolt, together with the social hyperactivity disguised as some politically correct movements, is a theme Murakami returns to in his other books. They kiss and touch each other, and soon Naoko begs Toru to put himself inside of her. . Whereas sometimes I prefer to hang around and enjoy the experience of being down in the rabbit hole. There are a lot of "I don't know, I'm just a girl" moments but I reaaaaally don't want to have to open the book again and go look for them. Dec 28, 2022 08:32PM · This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
Norwegian Wood: Toru, Naoko and Midori (sometimes Kizuki) : murakami
She showed me her room, isn't it good, Norwegian wood? No women in bars who may be ghosts, no hanging out in deep wells, no psychic cats, just a single moon. This book should come with a warning: "Not recommended for pregnant women, may be carcinogenic, and not representative of Murakami's great genius. As Toru watches his friends Naoko, Hatsumi, and Midori struggle with and, in some cases, succumb to their grief, Murakami suggests that everyone, at some point, must face down the deeply existential dilemma of whether to continue living and participating in a cruel, chaotic world, or to escape into death. Seems very dark and depressing, but the light comes out at the very end and you can see the sunshine through the clouds. Two days later, Toru arrives at Tokyo Station to meet Reiko and spots her in the crowd almost immediately.
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere, So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair. After dinner, Reiko played Naoko all her favorite Beatles songs, and then Naoko began to describe, unprompted and in great detail, the night she and Toru had sex on her 20th birthday. Reiko warns Toru that if he hurts Midori again, the wound he creates may be too deep to fix. It's as simple as that. What Murakami delivers is a sprawling peak into the lives of a bunch of severely damaged youths coping with the realities of what emptiness means. I finished Norwegian Wood again last night and I believe more firmly that Reiko did not kill Naoko.
It can be very depressing, and actually took an emotional toll on me. And there is always the ghost of Kizuki casting a shadow over the two of them ~~ a ghost that still haunts Naoko. With her gone, he's suddenly lost his purpose. I didn't read your review till the end because I didn't intent on accidentally reading any sort of spoilers, but out of uncontrollable curiosity and your alluring writing, I couldn't stop myself but read a few initial harmless sentences and ended up loving them with surety that I'll love the whole review when I read it after finishing the book and undoubtedly I did. It is through this experience and the intimate conversation that Watanabe and Reiko share that night, that he comes to realize that Midori is the most important person in his life.
