The Book I Read in July - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I had never read a book by Haruki Murakami before opening Norwegian Wood, and having read it, I can tell why he's so critically acclaimed. The book is about Toru Watanabe, a university student living in 1960s Tokyo (the title a reference to the Beatles song off of Rubber Soul), and his struggles in relationships with Naoko, who he knew from his friend Kizuki, and Midori, a fellow student. Through this plot, Murakami explores questions surrounding life and the value of relationships, and does it in a brilliant manner.

Murakami's writing is rather vivid, with each detail given in the book being vital when reading. From the sanatorium described in Chapter 6 to the dormitory where Toru is staying, Murakami builds a distinct image that comes alive to you. The prose flows beautifully as well, meaning you can read the book quickly when you get the hang of it. 

The song Norwegian Wood is a key motif in the book, being the favourite song of Naoko, whilst the lyrics also seem to be rather symbolic of the book itself ("I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me?") and the title itself perhaps has a darker meaning once you get to the end (though I won't spoil anything), and the music itself is a key component of the book, helping to build this background of the 1960s.

One issue I would have with Norwegian Wood, however, is that almost every woman that Toru encounters almost inevitably will end up in some kind of relationship with him, which I found slightly off-putting, though I can somewhat understand why that is the case in this book. Not least as at least many of the male characters have their own ambitions along the way (Nagasawa may sleep with loads of women, but at least he has a political career to look forward to. Naoko, not so much - her life almost revolves around Toru at times). 

The character of Toru, however, is brilliantly written, a complex man who is liked by everybody for being "ordinary", though, yet again, he seemed to only be pre-occupied with his relationships with women (which I suppose could be understandable at that age, and that is the plot of the novel). At times, I did question Toru's committment to Naoko, which only heightened by the ending of the book. But the characters in general are rather well written, all unique in their own ways, even if Toru ends up sleeping with many of the side characters.

Overall, I highly recommend Norwegian Wood. The writing is easy to get into and the concept is one I've never read before, and I might just end up reading more Murakami...

The Book I Read in June