Norwegian Wood (novel)

Norwegian Wood
First English-language edition
AuthorHaruki Murakami
Original titleNoruwei no Mori "Norwegian Forest"
ノルウェイの森
TranslatorAlfred Birnbaum (1989)
Jay Rubin (2000)
LanguageJapanese
GenreLiterary fiction, romance novel
PublisherKodansha
Publication date
1987
Publication placeJapan
Published in English
1989 (Birnbaum trans.); 2000 (Rubin trans.)
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages296 (US paperback)
400 (UK paperback)
ISBN0-375-70402-7 (US edition)
ISBN 0-09-944882-3 (UK edition)
ISBN 4-06-203516-2 (JP edition)
OCLC42692182
895.6/35 21
LC ClassPL856.U673 N6713 2000

Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森, Noruwei no Mori) is a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.[1] The novel is a nostalgic story of loss.[2] It is told from the first-person perspective of Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo.[3] Through Watanabe's reminiscences, readers see him develop relationships with two very different women—the beautiful yet emotionally troubled Naoko, and the outgoing, lively Midori.[4]

This novel is set in late 1960s Tokyo during a period when Japanese students, like those of many other nations, were protesting against the established order.[5] While it serves as the backdrop against which the events of the novel unfold, Murakami (through the eyes of Watanabe and Midori) portrays the student movement as largely weak-willed and hypocritical.

Murakami adapted the first section of the novel from an earlier short story, "Firefly". The story was subsequently included in the collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.[6]

Norwegian Wood was hugely popular with Japanese youth and made Murakami something of a superstar in his native country (apparently much to his dismay at the time).[7][8] During the height of the popularity, Murakami would even leave Japan for a time.

A film adaptation with the same title was released in 2010, directed by Tran Anh Hung.

  1. ^ Winterton, Bradley (January 7, 2001). "Exploring the map of one's inner existence". Taipei Times. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  2. ^ Bauer, Justin (October 5, 2000). "This Bird Has Flown". Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on May 3, 2005. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  3. ^ Poole, Steve (May 27, 2000). "Tunnel vision". The Guardian. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  4. ^ Lindquist, Mark (June 3, 2001). "Japanese author's focus, flavor appeal to younger interests". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  5. ^ Houpt, Simon (August 1, 2008). "The loneliness of the long-distance writer". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  6. ^ Rafferty, Terrence (September 15, 2006). "Review: Blind willow, sleeping woman". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  7. ^ Lewis-Kraus, Gideon (February 6, 2005). "Convergence of separate odysseys". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
  8. ^ Naparstek, Ben (June 24, 2006). "The lone wolf". The Age. Retrieved December 20, 2008.