Norwegian Wood: A Different Side of My Favorite Author

A Quick Word on the Author (In Case You’ve Been Living Under a Rock)

Haruki Murakami, one of my favorite writers, if not the favorite. Born in Kyoto in 1949, Murakami didn’t take the straight road to literary fame. Before becoming a novelist, he and his wife ran a jazz bar in Tokyo for seven years, which later infused his writing with a musical rhythm and cultural references that sneak up on you like a perfectly timed bass line. His debut, Hear the Wind Sing (1979), kicked off a career that gave us masterpieces like Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84, and, of course, Norwegian Wood. Known for blending surrealism with deep emotional truths, Murakami has been translated into more than 50 languages, winning awards like the Jerusalem Prize and bridging Japanese and Western literary worlds.

What It’s About (Spoiler Alert - You’ve Been Warned)

Toru, a quiet, serious college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman. Their love is overshadowed by the tragic death of their best friend years earlier. While Toru tries to adapt to the isolation of campus life, Naoko struggles with the weight of existence. As she retreats into herself, Toru is drawn toward Midori, an independent, free-spirited woman who shakes up his world.

The novel blends romance, loss, and the ethos of the sixties, capturing the bittersweet turbulence of coming of age, first love, first heartbreak, and the question of how we move forward.

How I Discovered It

One of my reading goals is to go through every single Murakami book ever published. Yep, all of them!

What I Liked About It

Most people think reading fiction is as “unproductive” as bingeing Netflix, but they’re missing the point. Stepping into another person’s head, even a fictional one, can stretch our empathy, sharpen our understanding of human emotion, and give us tools for real-life problems. Even stories about dragons or mythical worlds can teach us something about ourselves.

I started Murakami with his weirder stuff (Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle), books that blur reality and dream so much you start wondering if your coffee was way too strong. So imagine my surprise when Norwegian Wood turned out to be… a straight-up romance. No parallel dimensions, no talking cats, just raw human love and loss.

It was refreshing, and it might even push me to read more romance or “fantastic romance” in the future. (Got recommendations? Drop them on my contact page — or gift me the book if you’re feeling generous… 😉)

Oh, and the music references? Gorgeous. The novel doesn’t just name-drop songs, it weaves them into the mood, like a playlist that plays inside your chest while you read.

The Music That Echoes

Murakami doesn’t just name-drop; he layers the novel with melodies that shape mood and meaning:

• The Beatles: The title comes from their song Norwegian Wood, Naoko’s favorite. She plays it again and again, soft, sad, and a little haunting, like her own loneliness and memories.

• Murakami peppers the story with a playlist including Michelle, Julia, Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, and more Beatles tracks, along with classical touches like Ravel’s Pavane and Debussy’s Clair de Lune.

So if you want to read Norwegian Wood with the full experience, let the music thread through your mind as you turn the pages.

Who Would Like It?

If you’re new to Murakami, start here before diving into his more surreal worlds. And if you’re dealing with the messy jump into adulthood, you might relate to Toru’s quiet struggle.

What I Didn’t Like About It

Honestly? Nothing. It felt like a hug. A slightly melancholic hug, but still.

Thoughts That Stuck With Me

“Everything was too sharp and clear, so that I could never tell where to start — the way a map that shows too much can sometimes be useless.”

This hit me hard. Sometimes when the path is too obvious, I freeze. Like, if success feels certain, suddenly my insecurities throw a party and convince me to procrastinate. Having a writer articulate that through a character feels like a rare gift.

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking… That’s the world of hicks and slobs.”

This made me think about how rare authenticity is these days. Everyone’s consuming the same content, quoting the same ideas, following the same role models, like we’re all on the same feed. Maybe it’s globalization, maybe it’s just laziness, but either way, Murakami’s little reminder here still stings… in a good way.

Reiko’s letter to Toru is pure gold. She reads his dilemma (torn between Naoko and Midori) and tells him: there’s nothing sinful about feeling drawn to both, life is messy, and people will get hurt no matter what.

“Things will go where they’re supposed to go if you just let them take their natural course… you try too hard to make life fit your way of doing things… Work at making yourself happy! Grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it.”

This made me think about the importance of warmhearted mentors in life, the kind of person who can guide you through dilemmas without sugarcoating reality. (And no, I’m not trying to sleep with her like Toru did, relax.) Sometimes life throws situations at you where there’s no black or white, not even gray, and every choice risks sacrificing something or hurting someone. At the end of the day, life isn’t a Disney movie, and Reiko’s wisdom reminds us to embrace that reality while still seizing the few chances for happiness we get.

A Note on the Movie

Yes, there’s a film adaptation. No, I don’t recommend it. Murakami’s worlds don’t fit neatly into two hours, the book is more than enough.

Final Verdict

Norwegian Wood is one of those rare novels that wraps you in nostalgia while quietly breaking your heart. Murakami captures the confusion, beauty, and ache of youth with a kind of honesty that lingers long after you close the book.