I finally finished reading Haruki Murakami’s most popular novel Norwegian Wood.  I have to say that for the sake a brevity and for those that just want a quick recommendation and not to read a long and most likely boring review by this reviewer, I will let you off the hook quick.  It was generally speaking a good book that gives an insight into the Japanese psyche as a whole for the 1960’s.  I would recommend reading this for those reasons.

I will make sure that I don’t leak any spoilers on the book itself.  It is about a character who for most of the book seems like a cold fish and that is the hardest part of liking the book is the inability to like the protagonist.  Even worse is that you actually feel nothing for the protagonist as he winds his way through the first half of the book.

The first third is about the ex-girlfriend of the protagonist’s best friend, who committed suicide on his 17th birthday.  The two survivors have moved on to college in Tokyo and take solace in each other’s company without seemingly connecting with each other.  However, they are connecting and then the ex-girlfriend commits herself to an asylum after a passionate night between the two.

The middle third is about the other girl that the protagonist meets and connects with.  This seems more like a real relationship and this is where the book starts to pick some steam.

Ultimately, this book is a coming-of-age type story in the 1960’s Japan.  It details loss, free love, smoking, booze, student uprisings and finally gain.  Definitely, something to pick up and read at least once.

Though, I am adding a warning that there is suicide in this book and actually quite a lot of it.