"Norwegian Wood" is the third book, and counting, of Haruki
Murakami that I have read. This is definitely my favourite of his
so far. It has that distinct Murakami style of narration and
description of things so simple and small, yet vividly brought to
life. Unlike the previous two Murakami books I read, "After Dark"
and "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle", there is no supernatural elements
in this story, making it so down-to-earth and very much more
relatable for anyone who has gained love, lost love.
Is it possible to love two people at the same time? Toru meets two
girls in his life who he feels he does - Naoko, a childhood friend
who is emotionally delicate, dealing with depression stemming from
a tragedy that Toru shares the pain with too, and Midori, a
classmate at college who is zestful and forthright, the complete
opposite of Naoko, yet she has issues of her own tucked away too.
Yes, flawed characters. Murakami has a flair in portraying them,
subtly with dignity. You sense Toru's distance with worldly
possessions surrounding him, Naoko's struggle with finding herself,
and Midori's yearn for love and initimacy.
The title and lyrics of The Beatle's song, "Norwegian Wood", is
perfect for the novel: "I once had a girl, or should I say, she
once had me".