Reviews

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

moira_desu's review against another edition

1.0

I believe this would have been a disappointment in itself, however, after reading 1Q84 I had (unfortunately) even higher expectations, thus the "fall" was even more hurtful. I can definitely see why would others rate this 4 or even 5 stars, but for me, the second half of the book seemed just like a perverse joke.

mollyworld's review against another edition

4.0

4.5, wish there had been a TW at the beginning

i wish i had read it all in only one or two sittings instead of chopping it up, the chapters are quite lengthy and you need to read all of it at once

unexpectedly cried at the beginning of chapter 11, didn’t think i would but i guess i didn’t realize how much i saw myself in the way murukami writes his female characters (something i know he gets a lot of shit for). but if anything, watanabe was my least favorite character only because i couldn’t relate to him at all and i wish he hadn’t been so blind to the world around him

overall, the musical and literary references have inspired me and i am even more curious about life in japan in the 60s and 70s, and i am looking forward to rereading this one day.

biancalayog's review against another edition

fast-paced

4.75

some admittedly truly beautiful writing in this. his obsession with boobs can get a bit uncomfy? but i also like that the book isn’t afraid to be gross/disgusting. the characters are all people whose worst qualities constantly get exaggerated and pushed to their limits & yet they find some sort of solace and happiness in each other, which is beautiful in its own twisted way. just wish maybe he wasn’t as obsessed with sex? what’s with the main character and reiko like be so for real 😭😭😭 anyway so glad i read this—my first murakami!—on my flight home. :)

_andreabarcia's review against another edition

1.0

Podría haber sido genial, ya que Murakami escribe muy bien. Pero las explicaciones innecesarias de sexo, una violación justificada como un acto de amor y el final.. well

baklavopita's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I really like the first few chapters and the last few chapters. The middle really bogged down 

bsenajulia's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

nada acontece nesse livro, mas não sai da minha cabeça 

meghodg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jalalslava's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sharppointysticks's review against another edition

3.0

I hadn't previously read anything by Haruki Murakami (other than the short story The Elephant Vanishes) but have been very curious about him for quite a while. I've heard that you shouldn't judge the author based on this book alone as it is not typical of his other writing, but I can't say if that is true or not since I haven't read any of his other novels. This was a tale of a young student, Toru, trying to find his way in the world and navigate through the complicated maze of feelings and thoughts in his own head and in the minds of the many girls in his life. It reads like an autobiography even though it is not. Many brush it off as just being a love story, but I think there is more to it than that. Definitely a coming of age story in the same vein as The Catcher in Rye. Another reviewer compared it to Garden State and I definitely see that. It sort of reminded me of The Virgin Suicides. I know it's not a perfect comparison, but they had a similar feel to me. I did like it though, and now I am even more curious about other works by this author.

dee97's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Mental illness, and Grief