Norwegian Wood
3 journalers for this copy...
"I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me" - Norwegian Wood (Lennon/McCartney).
With Norwegian Wood Murakami, best known as the author of off-kilter classics such as the Wind Up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard Boiled Wonderland, finally achieved widespread acclaim in his native Japan. The novel sold upwards of 4 million copies and forced the author to retreat to Europe, fearful of the expectations accompanying his new-found cult status.
The novel is atypical for Murakami: seemingly autobiographical, in the tradition of many Japanese "I" novels, Norwegian Wood is a simple coming of age tale set, primarily, in 1969/70, the time of Murakami's own university years. The political upheavals and student strikes of the period form the backdrop of the novel but the focus here is the young Watanabe's love affairs and the pain (and pleasure) of growing up with all its attendant losses, (self-)obsessions and crises.
(...) if less complex and ultimately less satisfying than Murakami's other, more allegorical, work. He captures the huge expectation of youth, and of this particular time in history, for the future and for the place of love in it. He also saturates the work with sadness, an emotion that can cripple a novel but which here underscores the poignancy of the work's rather thin subject matter.--Mark Thwaite
What I loved most about this book was the writing... the way Murakami describes everything with such detail that we can visualize the scenes and actually feel the emotions of the characters... A reading to take slowly, savouring each word.
With Norwegian Wood Murakami, best known as the author of off-kilter classics such as the Wind Up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard Boiled Wonderland, finally achieved widespread acclaim in his native Japan. The novel sold upwards of 4 million copies and forced the author to retreat to Europe, fearful of the expectations accompanying his new-found cult status.
The novel is atypical for Murakami: seemingly autobiographical, in the tradition of many Japanese "I" novels, Norwegian Wood is a simple coming of age tale set, primarily, in 1969/70, the time of Murakami's own university years. The political upheavals and student strikes of the period form the backdrop of the novel but the focus here is the young Watanabe's love affairs and the pain (and pleasure) of growing up with all its attendant losses, (self-)obsessions and crises.
(...) if less complex and ultimately less satisfying than Murakami's other, more allegorical, work. He captures the huge expectation of youth, and of this particular time in history, for the future and for the place of love in it. He also saturates the work with sadness, an emotion that can cripple a novel but which here underscores the poignancy of the work's rather thin subject matter.--Mark Thwaite
What I loved most about this book was the writing... the way Murakami describes everything with such detail that we can visualize the scenes and actually feel the emotions of the characters... A reading to take slowly, savouring each word.
It's going to ElHurricane as part of his special namesake Virtual BookBox.
Good journey.
Good journey.
Arrived.
Thanks ichigochi for takig part of the box
Thanks ichigochi for takig part of the box
And it goes to folha-de-outono in my "Grande Limpeza Nova Vida"
Journal Entry 5 by folha-de-outono at Amadora, Lisboa (distrito) Portugal on Friday, February 17, 2012
Got it!
Thank you very much, ElHurricane.
It should be next on my "to be read" list... I'm very curious about it!
Thank you very much, ElHurricane.
It should be next on my "to be read" list... I'm very curious about it!
