Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”

I enjoyed Haruki Murakami’s sad novel “Norwegian Wood”. A confession first: I had avoided Murakami for a long time after hearing from many that his fractured narratives make a difficult read. I’m not fond of non-linear plot and all those mind games and magical realism stuff (Murakami’s signature style) don’t appeal me. But this novel is different. Toru’s loneliness and his meeting with strange characters like Storm Trooper, Nagasawa, Midori, Naoko, Reiko and others kept me hooked to the story. Sadness experienced by Toru and his non-attachment with people along with the death hanging over the narrative can subject the sensitive reader to gloom and can prove off-putting. However, Murakami’s spiritual commentary on anomie brought about by the modern time and space and the inadequacy of physical love (there is plenty of hardcore sex in the novel) to relieve one of boredom is excellent. Quirky characters make this novel interesting.