Widely considered to be one of the finest Japanese writers of his generation, Murakami’s name may not be instantly familiar with Western readers, but you’ll no doubt have seen a number of his books on the shelves of your local bookshop, from IQ84, Kafka on the Shore and, of course, arguably his most famous novel, Norwegian Wood, which could be described as being to young Japanese readers what The Catcher in the Rye is to Western teens. Upon its publication in 1987, the novel became a hit and, much to his dismay, made the author hugely famous.

Set in the 1960’s, Norwegian Wood begins, chronologically speaking, long after the events of the book, and sees our now middle-aged protagonist, Toru Watanabe, hears the opening bars The Beatles’ song of the same name, and is instantly overwhelmed by memories of his early adult life, and of the two women who left such a lasting impression upon him.

Alas, I’ve never been to Japan, nor am I any sort of expert in its culture or history, and yet I was surprised to find it wasn’t difficult for me to become immersed in the story and its setting, though at no point did I feel like it was intentionally dumbing itself down for Western readers. I enjoyed exploring this new territory and Murakami’s well-rounded characters soon had me engrossed in their lives.

The novel follows 19-year-old Toru Watanabe as he struggles with student life, maturity, and the suicide of his close friend a few years prior. Watanabe spends most of his days studying, working in a record shop, and taking walks with the ex-girlfriend of his deceased friend, Naoko. It’s not long before the two spend the night together, but Naoko then distances herself from Watanabe, explaining she needs time on her own.

Our heartbroken protagonist comforts himself by hanging out at bars picking up women, but it’s not long before he meets a lively girl named Midori, who he finds himself becoming more and more attracted to. I won’t go any deeper into the story for fear of spoilers, but this was easily one of those books that has you saying to yourself “just one more chapter…”. It’s easy to become invested in all its characters, and I often found myself reflected on them and the story when I wasn’t reading. Indeed, I still find myself thinking about the characters and the book after having finished it.

Given the excellent writing and characters, it’s not hard to see why Norwegian Wood has become such a hit, but no doubt the fact it tackles difficult topics such as mental health and suicide has also contributed to its success particularity among younger readers, and particularly in Japan, where attitudes towards mental health still have a long way to go. In this regard, not only has Murakami published an excellent novel, but he’s also done a service in putting a spotlight on mental health in Japan.

As I mentioned earlier, there are parts of the novel that reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye. Make no mistake, they’re two very different books and I regard them both highly, but they do have some similarities. Both are about young men unsure of their place in the world, both brought fame to their shy authors, and both tackle mental health, though Norwegian Wood certainly dives deeper into that quagmire. What I’m saying is, if you’re friends with Holden you should try hanging out with Watanabe.

Many readers would probably agree that Watanabe is an easier protagonist to like that Holden but, if I had to make a criticism of the character (and this is a review so I do), I’d question why he ends up sleeping with just about every woman he meets. I have no problem with sex in my novels, and it makes sense for a young man or woman to want to explore his or her sexuality, but I struggle to think of a single female character Watanabe meets who he doesn’t have sex with. There was even one point where it actually ruined my immersion as I found myself thinking really? Even her? I suppose one could argue that this is his way of trying to feel a connection with someone, much like how Holden keeps asking where the ducks go during winter, but what bothered me was the fact Watanabe seems to have no interest in being a ladies man. He doesn’t appear to make any effort to seduce these women, they’re just immediately attracted to him. That said, I don’t want to give the impression the female characters are simply there for our hero to sleep with, they’re not, but it just stuck out to me.

As I mentioned, the book takes its name from The Beatles song Norwegian Wood, which opens with the line “I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me,” and it’s amazing how that one lyric perfectly surmises the effect both Midori and Naoko have on Watanabe. They both capture him and, as you can tell just from the book’s opening, he’s never been the same since. Our protagonist may be male, but this book is about women.

I’ve found myself thinking about this book long after I turned the final page, and it’s the kind of book I enjoy discussing with other people and reading different interpretations of online. In fact, there’s one theory online that absolutely blew my mind when I read it and, if these clues were intentionally planted by the author, then he’s a goddamn genius. Don’t read it until after you’ve finished the book! I found this to be an excellent way to begin reading Murakami’s work and I look forward to checking out his other novels. It’s easy to see why he’s become so well regarded and I’d urge just about anyone to check him out.

Read More:

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• The Silmarillion – J.R.R. Tolkien
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• Beren and Lúthien – J.R.R. Tolkien (Edited by Christopher Tolkien)