The 1987 novel Norwegian Wood is my introduction to Murakami. An ordinary hero, Toru Watanabe’s college life in Tokyo as reminisced by him unfolds a story of friendship, love, companionship and loss of it all.

The Beatles song ‘Norwegian Wood’ was Naoko’s favourite and the author never lets us forget that. Student protests, emotional turmoil and the vacant shell of a self takes the limelight here in this novel. Set in the 1960’s Tokyo, Haruki Murakami brings out the student life as lived by the protagonist as he deals with a personal loss and grows as a person in companion with Naoko and Midori. With the introduction of characters like Nagasawa and ‘Storm Trooper’, the versatile characters of the same generation is portrayed by the author,almost mirroring his own college days. The helplessness of the protagonist regarding Naoko and her tragic end seeps into the reader and the questions of action arises. With the highest suicide rate in the world, Japan as well as all of us helplessly watch on from the sidelines as KIzuki and Naoko drown in their own personal hell. Haunted by insanity and suicides, Toru’s account of his college life entraps the reader in the lines of Murakami.

The novel has various unanswered questions and an abrupt end. If moving on from the tragedies of life is the lesson out of Norwegian Wood, then indeed, Toru moves on with his life, his destination unknown. With numerous references to The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye, Toru’s love for literature, specially American literature is highlighted. Since the novel has a single point of view narration, the inner workings of the protagonist’s mind is explored plenty with somewhat Naoko kept in the dark. Midori and Reiko, both being extremely vocal and transparent characters, the mystery of Naoko, as well as her long suffering with mental health makes us more aware. The ending is almost hopeful as Toru calls Midori to finally confess but the novel ends with her question “Where are you?” and Toru pondering over it. Murakami’s second novel, Norwegian Wood that established him as a literary superstar all over the world has indeed been an intense read and I give it a 4 out of 5.