Norwegian Wood

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
translated by Jay Rubin
386pages




---summary
Toru Watabnabe, 37 years old men listened the song "Norwegian Wood" by The Beatles in the plane and he remember the youthful days that had passed long time ago, the time when he was a high school to university student.

Toru and Kizuki and Naoko were good friends each other when they were high school students. Kizuki associated with Naoko but they liked to hang out with Toru. They looked like enjoy their life. However, suddenly Kizuki suicide when he was 17 years old. Nobody understood the reason why he did it because he was cleaver and good boy. His death made Naoko fragile girl. Also Toru's heart was broken.

Toru and Naoko reunioned after they enter the university and sometimes they walked around together. The day of Naoko's 20 years old birthday, Naoko felt lonely so strongly and they consummate their love. After that night, Naoko leaved Toru with a letter. It said that she also leaved university and went back her home to got a rest.

Naoko wrote a letter to Toru and Toru replied. She explained about herself, what was happening to her gradually. And finally, he knew that she was in a mental hospital......







---comment
I was really attracted this story. Naoko's feeling, Toru' s thinking... sometime these things were difficult to understand, but their age was almost same as me. I sympathizes. Their feelings went straight to my heart.





---rate and level
Interesting. I read this book so fast because I could not stop the emotion that want to read more.
this paper back is for middle class English leaner. there were some unknown words but I could expect meanings.