Norwegian Wood （By Murakami Haruki）
Japan has many wonderful literary works. This is just a partial list; there are many great works across different genres and eras.For example, there are many masterpieces such as “I am a Neko deru(By Natsume Soseki)”, “Night on the Galaxy Express(By Kenji Miyazawa)”, and “Rajomon(By Akutagawa Ryunosuke”）.These are just some examples; there are many other masterpieces. You can find a variety of literature depending on the period, genre, and perspective that is being evaluated.Although this is subjective, there are some masterpieces that touch people all over the world, and this time I would like to introduce a novel called Norwegian Wood.Norwegian Wood is a novel written in 1987 by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.Norwegian Wood is a story centered around themes of youth, love, loss, and death.Norwegian Woodyoutube.comsummaryWatanabe, 37, recalls various memories while listening to the Beatles' ``Norwegian Wood'' on the plane heading to Germany.Immediately after entering university, I met my high school classmate Naoko again on a train in Tokyo.The two had a mutual friend named Kizuki, but one day he suddenly committed suicide.After the suicide, the relationship between the two became strained and they became estranged, but after meeting Naoko for the first time in a while, they hit it off and became like lovers. However, Naoko suddenly disappears.While doing so, Watanabe meets a girl named Midori, and although he is concerned aboutNaoko, he is drawn to the brightness of the greenery and grows closer to her.Midori was a free-spirited girl who innocently talked about sex everywhere.Midori had a boyfriend, but we can see that things aren't going well and she wants todate Watanabe.Watanabe tells Midori that he wants to wait to start dating, but then he receives a letter from Naoko. According to the letter, Naoko was mentally unwell and was living in a facility in Kyoto.Watanabe goes to see Naoko at the facility.Naoko and her caretaker Reiko were there.That night, the three of them spend the night together, and Reiko plays the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" at Naoko's request. Watanabe then hears various stories from Naoko since she left Watanabe.When Midori returned to Tokyo, she became angry at Watanabe because she didn't know anything about it. Midori then takes Watanabe to the hospital. Midori's father was there, lying on the floor and not getting up.Midori said that her sisters take turns guarding the family bookstore and caring for herfather.Here, Watanabe had a senior who he was good friends with.It all started when Watanabe approached me while I was reading Fitzgerald's ``The Great Gatsby'' in the dormitory cafeteria.Mr. Nagasawa was very used to women, had relationships with countless women, and was always playing with women.However, on the other hand, he was very hardworking and highly conscious, and it was decided that he would join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and become a diplomat.Nagasawa had a lover named Hatsumi.No matter what Nagasawa did, Hatsumi accepted it and forgave him.I thought that if I could marry Nagasawa and have a child, that would be enough.To celebrate getting a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the three of them, including Watanabe, decide to go out to dinner, where Nagasawa repeats the story about having had sex with another woman, as if he was referring to Hatsumi.Hatsumi finally gets angry and the meal ends there.Watanabe goes to Hatsumi's house to take care of the injured Watanabe, and Hatsumi tells him that Nagasawa and Watanabe have something in common.I haven't seen Hatsumi since then, but apparently she married someone else and then took her own life.Please feel free to pick up the book and read the rest.I was moved by the way the scenes and emotions were expressed. Even the interaction between Watanabe and the women was easily noticeable.The story of Reiko, whom Naoko met at a facility after she became mentally ill, really stuck with me.The pain of not being successful despite being talented.Book ReviewReiko continues to live her life while looking at the ``talent'' she has lost.It was very sad even though it had nothing to do with the main story.Although it was a realistic story, the atmosphere and aura felt unrealistic to me.All the characters had an aura of death in them.
