Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

I have finished this book some time ago but I just can’t find the right words to describe the novel and my feelings about it. Because I feel that whatever I’ll write won’t be enough to express it’s beauty. Always when I read Murakami’s books I find myself thinking how elusive life is and how our decisions affect other human beings. Norwegian Wood is a story about loneliness, love, making choices and growing up. There is also a stable element of Murakami’s – women. All of them special in their own way. And of course it’s filled with music. Like it was playing in the background during reading...

The plot…

Toru Watanabe had only one friend in his life - Kizuki. When he dies in the age of 17 something dies in Watanabe too. But life goes on, Watanabe moves to Tokyo and goes to university.

A year later he bumps into Kizuki’s girlfriend, Naoko in the subway. They never talked much when Kizuki lived but they decide to spend Sundays together walking through the streets of Tokyo. The memory of the dead friend floats in the air and they try to cope with the loss each on their own way but Naoko is not strong enough. One day she disappears and Watanabe finds out she is in a psychiatric hospital-like place near Kioto. They exchange some letters and arrange few visits, hoping to be together when it ends.

There is also Midori, an eccentric girl from his university who is fascinated with cooking and porn movies and says inappropriate things all the time. They have much fun and feel good in their own company. But friendship evolves in something more. In the end Watanabe must realize what he wants and take life in his own hands.