Love in Disarray: 'Norwegian Wood' by Haruki Murakami

Murakami is renowned for his mythical and unique writing style. He brings his readers into the world of nostalgic landscapes filled with parallel occurrences. However, 'Norwegian Wood' veers away from all of this; revealing a different side to his writings, a much humane and humble approach.

The book starts off with two peculiar lovers who venture through their adulthood in one upbringing question: "What is Love?". Not only does it explicitly explores this psychological concept, however the struggles and turbulence of the past are brought up to the present as a narrative plot. This conflict marks as the book's beginning; it did managed to have me hooked for a couple of minutes. Regardless, the buildup and the resolution proved to be nothing, but disappointing. There was no satisfaction felt in the end of the story and no character development at sight. To put it simply, it is a plain book where the ending ended up being the beginning of the premise, yet all over again. Although, I am aware that a seemingly Kafkaesque story plot is part of the Murakami essence; this book just does not do it justice.

Regardless, I have to give Murakami the props for his proficiency in writing. When creating the emotions of yearning and euphoria through story telling, he excels in all that. It is as if I am the one who was in love with Naoko, who felt betrayed and jealous of Kizuki, who felt the playfulness of Reiko; all through the eyes of Toru. Murakami's writing style has never failed to amaze me. With this book, it is just a matter of horrible storyline and resolution. It had so much potential yet it all went by the drain, however it is for us to witness the profound significance of 'Norwegian Wood' as it gracefully reminds us of our shared humanity. Unveiling the beauty in our individual quests for joy and fulfilment, it assures us that there is nothing mundane or dull about embracing our own paths to happiness; instead it sheds beauty on the simplicity of humanity.

Overall, do I recommend this book? Unfortunately no. There are definitely better Murakami books to read that showcases his full potential and abilities as an author. Despite of this, if you are searching for an easy read, 'Norwegian Wood' could be an option for you.