Scan barcode
A review by oofym
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Incoming rant warning ⚠️
I hated this and I really wish I didn't, just for context: I've read Kafka on the shore and The wind up bird chronicle aswell as a collection of short stories, which I thoroughly enjoyed all of. BUT THIS, this piece of dumpster fire that somehow classifies as a novel, was one of the worst things I've read unfortunately by an author I enjoyed up untill this point.
What happens if you took a Murakami story, took out all the interesting surrealism and symbolism, turned the creepy pervertedness up to 100 and added a mixture of banal plot, sexual assualt involving minors and terrible smutty romance? You get Norwegian wood.
I wish I DNF'd this, it was not worth reading all the way through. Unfortunately this book despite all its flaws, has some good moments, that are of course all immediately ruined by the most unrealistic, juvenile and perverted sexual happenings that occur straight after. If I could choose a metaphor for what this felt like as a reading experience I'd say "It's like eating chocolate covered strawberries but then just as you finish the strawberry, someone shoves a steaming pile of cow manure down your throat. Repeat untill you want to choke and die."
I LOVE when a girls dad dies of brain cancer which is then followed by her talking about how short her skirt is and how "everything falls out" when she goes up the stairs.
I LOVE detailed descriptions of a sexual encounter between a 13 year old and 31 year old. ( I genuinely don't understand how this section was even allowed to be published)
I LOVE stripping off nude infront of a photo of my deceased father and then saying "Here daddy look at my cunt and tits"
I LOVE when my long term love interest kills herself and the first thing I think of was how she sucked my dick soooo good.
This was a disgusting read, not disgusting in a profound of moral way, not disgusting to serve a purpose or tell a story. This was disgustingly sexual just for the sake of it, and somehow people eat this shit up.
This officially goes on my "Red flag" list of books. If this is one of your favourite books, please touch grass, stop watching porn and interact with a real human.
I hated this and I really wish I didn't, just for context: I've read Kafka on the shore and The wind up bird chronicle aswell as a collection of short stories, which I thoroughly enjoyed all of. BUT THIS, this piece of dumpster fire that somehow classifies as a novel, was one of the worst things I've read unfortunately by an author I enjoyed up untill this point.
What happens if you took a Murakami story, took out all the interesting surrealism and symbolism, turned the creepy pervertedness up to 100 and added a mixture of banal plot, sexual assualt involving minors and terrible smutty romance? You get Norwegian wood.
I wish I DNF'd this, it was not worth reading all the way through. Unfortunately this book despite all its flaws, has some good moments, that are of course all immediately ruined by the most unrealistic, juvenile and perverted sexual happenings that occur straight after. If I could choose a metaphor for what this felt like as a reading experience I'd say "It's like eating chocolate covered strawberries but then just as you finish the strawberry, someone shoves a steaming pile of cow manure down your throat. Repeat untill you want to choke and die."
I LOVE when a girls dad dies of brain cancer which is then followed by her talking about how short her skirt is and how "everything falls out" when she goes up the stairs.
I LOVE detailed descriptions of a sexual encounter between a 13 year old and 31 year old. ( I genuinely don't understand how this section was even allowed to be published)
I LOVE stripping off nude infront of a photo of my deceased father and then saying "Here daddy look at my cunt and tits"
I LOVE when my long term love interest kills herself and the first thing I think of was how she sucked my dick soooo good.
This was a disgusting read, not disgusting in a profound of moral way, not disgusting to serve a purpose or tell a story. This was disgustingly sexual just for the sake of it, and somehow people eat this shit up.
This officially goes on my "Red flag" list of books. If this is one of your favourite books, please touch grass, stop watching porn and interact with a real human.