Norwegian Wood- Haruki Murakami

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This review was written 27/07/09

Synopsis(from Amazon)

When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire – to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire – to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.

Review

You know what I’m really bad at writing good reviews…what do you think that say about me?!
Anyway I thought this book was beautiful. It wasn’t what I expected really, I expected more of a classic love story I suppose…but this wasn’t that. I much prefered Midori to Naoko. There was something kind of sweet about Naoko but I found her, I’m not sure if boring is the word but she certainly didn’t bring the same kind of excitement as Midori. I am probably more like Midori…but a bit more conventional! (highlight for spoiler)In fact I prefered reading about her illness than actually reading about her, whereas with Midori I was always looking forward to what she might say next. I was glad when Watanabe realised that he really loved her.

I didn’t expect there to be as much graphical sex descriptions in it either. It didn’t put me off but I can imagine it might for some people

4.5/5