Norwegian Wood in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Feb 11, 2009 Ms. McGregor rated it liked it

This is the first Murakami book I've ever read, loaned to me by a co-worker who seems to have pretty similar taste in literature. She was reluctant to do so, saying it's not a typical Murakami. While she was reading it, I remember asking her what she thought, and she said, "I don't know. I really like it, and I really don't." I understand now.

The pros:
There is no question that Murakami is an extremely engaging, talented and literary author. When other aspects of the novel made it hard for me to ...more

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Oct 03, 2013 Kristen rated it liked it

Shelves: book-club

I’m not quite sure what to say about this book. I didn’t find it to be shockingly sexually explicit, but I also didn’t find the book erotic – though I don’t know if erotic is what Murakami was going for. If anything, I found the book to be quite melancholy. It’s a sad book about sad and unhappy people who have a hard time letting the past release its grip on them. I don’t say that as a criticism but more as a matter of fact. I wasn’t exactly excited to pick it up at the end of a long day because ...more

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Mar 12, 2014 teresa rated it liked it

This was much easier to follow than the other Murakami book I have read, The Wind Up Bird Chronicles. It tells the story of a young man dealing with death, love and sex as he moves from a teenager to an adult. The suicide of his best friend is the turning point from childhood to the next stage because
Until that time, I had understood death as something entirely separate from and independent of life." After the death of his friend he is forced to realize that "Death was not the opposite of life. ...more

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