Norwegian Wood

By: Haruki Murakami

Narrated by: John Chancer

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

From the bestselling author of Kafka on the Shore: A magnificent coming-of-age story steeped in nostalgia, “a masterly novel” (The New York Times Book Review) blending the music, the mood, and the ethos that were the sixties with a young man’s hopeless and heroic first love.

Toru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

Stunning and elegiac, Norwegian Wood first propelled Haruki Murakami into the forefront of the literary scene.

©1987 Haruki Murakami (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A masterly novel. . . .Norwegian Wood bears the unmistakable marks of Murakami’s hand.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Norwegian Wood . . . not only points to but manifests the author’s genius.” (Chicago Tribune)

“[A] treat . . . Murakami captures the heartbeat of his generation and draws the reader in so completely you mourn when the story is done.” (The Baltimore Sun)

great book, and great reading

this is very dfferent from other murakami novels, there's not so much imagination and absurdness to it but the concreteness of it is nice. still I feel it compliments murakamis other work quite well. would recommend to anyone interested in his work.

Characterless Orgy

I have something of a mixed relationship with Murakami. sometimes his magic sense of what is possible enthralls me, and on other outings I am instead absolutely baffled at what it takes to make it into the literary canon.

Fortunately it seems that even Murakami himself is somewhat baffled by the popularity of this book, once even saying he didn't want it to be what he was known for. So I can at least write this knowing that I'm not being completely unreasonable. It may be important to note that this is the first of his works to be translated into English, which, given how unique is type of story is, might go a ways towards understanding it's (initial) popularity.

The story itself is a selfish wondering tale about a man looking back at his life, I think, it happens in the beginning and then the framing device is quickly abandoned in the name of...what I'm not precisely sure. I would say young love, but that rings hollow. Sex might make it closer to the mark. Pair the sex with a large dose of wandering existential angst and you've pretty much got the book covered.

he starts his narrative as a teenager suffering at the hands of youthful tragedy. Then before we can see how his life changes he is off to college where he gnashes his teeth at faux-revolutionaries and dealing with the typically troublesome and humorous roommate troubles, then before that can take us anywhere truly worthwhile we are off to a commune to visit the ever present link to his path. Every scene, every secondary of tertiary character is introduced and then quickly abandoned and given strange and unnatural exits without much further contemplation.

It all seems somehow hollow,. We hear of his isolation, he tells us, but we do not feel it. We see his friends, but no one really sticks in the static void that is the narrative. The only thing that seems to pin this book together is sex, it seems to be the only moments we get anything even remotely human from the characters, but even then it's rather generic romance-novel level descriptions of this genitalia and the other.

The best parts of the book come when we are not simply shown things, but are given a chance to see them first hand. These, invariably come in spurts of slow often pastoral conversation in communes and restaurants are handled well enough and attempt to muddle out a sense of purpose for the main character and the book as a whole.

The translation itself is a little muddled, with strange, almost jarring cuts where it feels like pieces of the book have been mended together imperfectly. The little turns of phrases the perforate the Japanese language are often translated in ways that make it awkwardly clear that we have no verbal signifier of contemplation quite like the Japanese. As it was his first book published in the States i can only imagine this is somehow indicative of a Mr. Rubin's apprenticeship to the more fluid, if only slightly less awkward translations of Murakami's later works.

The narrator is unremarkable. Given the amount of female characters, one would think they would have found someone who could pull off a feminine voice with a bit more believability. Instead we a given these raspy, thinly veiled masculine tones to every character and, while I as able to eventually get used to it, there are infinity of narrator's better suited to this book.

I say all this not to deter you from trying it yourself. It's just as of this writing there is nothing here to inform as to what you are actually getting yourself into, so I figured I'd help out. If you don't mind a pointless bit of authorial indulgence, give it a shot. If you like the stories you've read before, ignore me. Read it, love it, I hope you do. If you haven't read him before start with Hard-Boiled Wonderland or Kakfa on the Shore and come here after you've gotten your feet wet. I don't regret reading the book, it is simply on I will likely never return to.

Not a bad read at all!

The book isn’t bad. The narrator is perfect!

I chose to read this book because I am originally a Murakami fan. I read all his famous works, then read this one.

This work of his is a bit different than his famous works. Here, I read some long and boring chapters, especially the first half of it, the second half was more exciting, for me at least.


I recommend it! But don’t expect it to be like Muralami’s other works.

Good book, poor narration

The book is good, but the narrator clearly doesn't know how to pronounce Japanese words. Most names, including those of two of the main characters are mispronounced, and it is quite jarring each time it happens. It seems like they could have easily hired a narrator that had at least a basic understanding of Japanese pronunciation considering the book was translated from Japanese, set in Japan, and features only Japanese characters.

poignant human portrait of Japan in the 60s

Took some time to get into. By the end I felt connected to the characters and I understood what the author wanted to convey. Excellent performance added a lot.

More Murakami please

Haruki Murakami is one of the most interesting writers I've had the good fortune to be exposed to. Norwegian Wood is NOT my favourite and by no means gives the listener the full picture of his ability to create worlds where the tricks of thinking become a reality played out with excruciating intensity. The novel gives you an idea though and is well worth a listen to get the idea.
More Murakami please Audible!

My least favorite Murakami book

Norweigian Wood lacked the fantastical elements that other Murukami books excelled at. It missed the surreal and endearing characters that moved his other plots along. This book focused more on relationships with a college age boy- so there of course was alot of meaningless provocative scenes.

beautiful story and good narrator

this is a beautiful story and has a good narrator. I was glad I read it!
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Great characters

This is a fascinating study of characters that are clearly drawn and so strange/unique that they are believable.

The best by Murakami

I am an avowed Murakami fan, and Norwegian Wood is the best of his works I have read. I would describe it in an elevator as a Japanese “Catcher in the Rye,” only better. Murakami gets into the “interiority” of his characters, makes you feel for them. It’s no wonder the protagonist and narrator Toru Watanabe earns the devotion of the female characters. He listens to them and is empathetic. I understand Murakami became a “rock star” in Japan, mobbed at airports, etc., after the publication of Norwegian Wood, I can imagine young Japanese women demanding their boyfriends and lovers read the book, and to act like Toru. Hell, I want to act like Toru. Great job, Mr. Murakami. Excellent narration by John Chancer in the Audible version.