Review: "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami
A short, philosophic critique of the massively popular Japanese novel.
Murakami’s Norwegian Wood (1987) was the last book I finished in 2022. It’s known as “the book everyone’s read” in Japan, according to the translator’s note. I’ve been reading Murakami chronologically, starting with “Hear the Wind Sing.” This is his 5th novel.
Norwegian Wood is a coming-of-age novel about mental illness and relationships in Japanese culture in the late 60s and early 70s. This review may contain light spoilers.
This novel adheres to Murakami’s character makeup of an observant male protagonist and the interesting women who drive the plot. I theorize the typical Murakami protagonist is a stand-in for Murakami, but I’d like to learn more about the author’s life to confirm this. Each part of this review will look at a different character in the story and how it relates to the plot and philosophy of the novel.
Toru
Toru Watanabe is a young man coming to terms with the death of his friend. In college, he met Kizuki and his girlfriend Naoko, whose companionship profoundly impacted him as a new student adjusting to living alone in Tokyo. Upon Kizuki’s sudden suicide, Toru and Naoko deal with the aftermath of grief throughout the rest of the novel. They develop a complex, romantic relationship after the loss of Kizuki while Naoko undergoes mental rehabilitation.
After Naoko is admitted to a mental institution in Kyoto, Toru feels an immense duty to care for her due to their connection with Kizuki. He foregoes other meaningful relationships because he can’t clear his mind of Naoko while living in Tokyo. Toru is drawn to Naoko’s vulnerability and, at one point, has the option to deepen a connection to his energetic classmate Midori but decides against it. Near the novel's end, Midori says that she is present with Toru and wants to be loved, but he ultimately can’t commit and maintains his duty to Naoko.
Naoko
Naoko is a broken person and affirms that she can never recover. Kizuki’s death left a deep impression on her, which caused her to withdraw and become depressed and overwhelmed by grief. She’s admitted to a unique mental institution that encourages independence as a path to healing; however, it doesn’t seem there are committed professionals. The hospital’s staff is supposedly seen as equal to the patients, and they help each other mutually. This doesn’t seem conducive to a successful healing process. Perhaps this is a reflection of Japan’s approach to mental health at the time of the early 1970s. Her condition and ups and downs, but eventually, she spirals out of control and takes her own life.
I'm afraid I have to disagree with her self-ascribed label of “broken person.” People are not “broken” simply because they struggle with those challenges. Maybe the mental hospital had something to do with instilling this belief in Naoko. It was good that she was open to being admitted into a mental institution, but her reliance on Kizuki was debilitating. Their relationship dates back to their childhood when her emotional dependence was fostered. Upon his sudden death, she is left to cope with the isolation. I’ll leave it to the reader to consider whether or not this is a healthy relationship characteristic.
Reiko
Reiko is an older woman Naoko met while living in the institution. She acts as a mentor, caregiver, and confidante. While she seems psychologically stable, her reason for being admitted to the hospital was an incident with a manipulative student years ago. She has an ex-husband and a daughter she hasn’t seen in years. It’s apparent that Reiko has healed from her past trauma and wants to support Naoko through her healing process. She’s my favorite character in the novel because she’s a talented musician, humorous, and values Naoko and Toru. She represents strength in the story.
Midori
Midori works at her father’s bookstore and is a classmate of Toru’s. Their friendship evolves throughout the novel. Initially, she has a boyfriend but has mixed feelings about him. She falls in love with Toru as she understands what she wants in life after her father dies. Near the novel's end, Toru hesitates to show affection toward Midori because of his commitment to Naoko, which almost ruins their relationship. Their connection represents how incredibly complex relationships can be and the many factors contributing to our affinity toward people based on internal and external factors.
Nagasawa
Finally, Nagasawa is a former classmate, dormmate, and friend of Toru’s. He begins acting as Toru’s role model, but his philosophy toward love and relationships becomes more revealing of his character. Nagasawa encourages Toru to enjoy life and accompanies him in Tokyo’s nightlife. Toru’s maturity is tested, and he sees Nagasawa for what he is: unable to hold meaningful relationships as he embarrasses his girlfriend by being with other women.
Conclusion
The philosophy behind Norwegian Wood can be summed up by one sentence near the novel's end: “Death is not the opposite of life, but an innate part of life.” It’s strange how this work is dedicated to accepting suffering when the quote, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional,” is also attributed to Murakami (from What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, his memoir).
After reading the translator’s notes at the back of the book, I realize I’m not alone in my opinions. Many people consider Norwegian Wood a retreat from his typical work, and he defends it as an experiment. He also says he drew inspiration from his college days but admits his life was much more boring than Watanabe’s.
Are you interested in following my reading list? I’m updating my Goodreads for 2023, so let’s be friends on the platform. Let’s see how many books I can finish in 365 days!