Norwegian Wood (Panther) [Paperback]

This is the second novel by Haruki Murakami I have read, I moderately enjoyed the first one when I read it a few years ago and it was really the reviews written by other people which drew me to read Norwegian Wood. I found this novel incredibly easy to read, it flowed and made me want to read more but it also made me feel really melancholy. It made me think about my own life quite a lot during the reading of it and afterwards. Strange, when I think how different the world portrayed in the book (I found it highly immersive) seems from my world and how different the people seem from the people I have known. Others may have different feelings about Norwegian Wood but to me it is most heavy with death, there is a fair bit of sex and love and loneliness too but death overrides them all.

The main character Watanabe has little purpose in life, he has many good intentions but his actions are often seen as futile during the course of the novel and when he does have impact on the lives of others he seems quite unaware of it until they spell it out very clearly to him. I find it very easy to relate to him, even when I am reading and thinking 'this is a mistake' or 'you need to...' I just feel very empathetic towards him. I do not dislike any of the characters, I especially like Reiko, despite the fact her life has been a complete mess. Nobody is truly happy in Norwegian Wood but I think the genius of it is the moments when there is happiness, just in the simple things of life, food, music, companionship, work. That felt very true.

The reason I didn't give 5 stars to this novel was entirely personal, I can never fully enjoy anything quite so sad as this. There were also a few lulls in the book when I found it a little hard to stay interested, it definitely will not appeal to anyone who cannot appreciate a slow pace. The positive points of Norwegian Wood are the distinct characters with their frailties and susceptibilities and joys, the nostalgia - I truly felt transported to another time and place, the honesty even when it hurts.

This author is a recent discovery, but I have already read and enjoyed three of his novels. The characters build slowly but are really well developed during the course of the book. A very 'readable' style. I enjoy the Japanese setting, although it is a country I have never visited. I found there was less of a plot than 1Q84 but it looks more deeply at characters motivations and feelings. It tells of a young man's transition from adolescence to adulthood. I look forward to reading more of Murakami's work.

Let me start off by saying that this is a very depressing book, but one that really touched me more than I could have imagined. Apart from the fact that I happen to be a huge Beatles fan, and so was immediately attracted to the title of the book, you have a wonderfully respected writer, a very interesting storyline, and a great setting both in time and place for a story to occur.

This is my first Murakami book, and he did not fail to amaze and impress. It's not just the content, but the writing itself - and perhaps that has a lot to do with the translation as well, so kudos to the translator - which was absolutely mesmerizing. The descriptions, the emotions conveyed, the thoughts expressed so non-eloquently by the characters and yet very eloquently by the writer, the scenery, the simplicity of the telling of the story made it such a beautiful book to read.

Unlike many of the other readers and reviewers of this book, I did not finish it in a day and I actually found I had to put it down a lot. Not because I would get bored, or because I didn't like it. On the contrary, it was because of the intensity of the book that I needed breaks in between to let it all sink in before I could go on reading it. It is the kind of book that you need to really submerge yourself into, and take it slowly, so you can really relish and take pleasure in this experience, as well as prolong it.

Norwegian Wood has been likened to Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and I suppose I could understand the comparison and the resemblance between Holden Caufield and Toru Watanabe, whom the book revolves around.

Toru Watanabe is a student in Tokyo in the year 1969 (told you it was a great year), and the book portrays his relationship with Naoko - his dead best friend's girlfriend - Midori, Reiko, Nagasawa, Hatsumi and even Storm Trooper. The book opens with an adult Toru, having heard the song Norwegian Wood, going back in years to recall the events of that fateful time of his life where all these people meant one thing or another to him.

Murakami manages to catch your attention from the beginning, and only succeeds in holding it for the entirety of the book. Seemingly a love story of sorts, the book deals with so much more than just that, not shying from putting on display very deep emotional, human aspects for everyone to see. From loneliness, to friendship, to loss, death, impotence, adolescence, sex, humour and most importantly, hope - the book encompasses all of that and so much more. It is very real, and deals with very serious issues, one major running theme being suicide and death at a young age.

I will say this though, as depressing as this book is, it does try to inspire hope and positivity and moving on. One of the things I really loved is the symbolism involved where the characters are concerned. Naoko symbolizing death and impotency and tragedy is a complete contrast to Midori who symbolizes life and sex and hope and resilience, and we sit throughout the novel wondering whether Toru is going to choose life or death.

I cannot recommend this book enough, and I could go on analysing every aspect of it for days, and every reader comes out with their own perception and interpretation of it. This is a remarkable book, and should be put on everyone's must-read lists, in fact I completely agree with all those who said that Murakami really must rank among the world's greatest living novelists. It won't be my last for him, that's for sure.