Norwegian Wood (novel)

Norwegian Wood (ノルウェイの森, Noruwei no Mori) is a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.[1] The novel is a nostalgic story of loss and burgeoning sexuality.[2] It is told from the first-person perspective of Toru Watanabe, who looks back on his days as a college student living in Tokyo.[3] Through Watanabe's reminiscences, readers see him develop relationships with two very different women—the beautiful yet emotionally troubled Naoko, and the outgoing, lively Midori.[4]

Quick facts: Author, Original title, Translator, Coun... ▼

Norwegian Wood

First English-language edition
Author	Haruki Murakami
Original title	Noruwei no Mori "Norwegian Forest" ノルウェイの森
Translator	Alfred Birnbaum (1989) Jay Rubin (2000)
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Genre	Literary fiction, romance novel
Publisher	Kodansha
Publication date	1987
Published in English	1989 (Birnbaum trans.); 2000 (Rubin trans.)
Media type	Print (paperback)
Pages	296 (US paperback) 400 (UK paperback)
ISBN	0-375-70402-7 (US edition) ISBN 0-09-944882-3 (UK edition) ISBN 4-06-203516-2 (JP edition)
OCLC	42692182
Dewey Decimal	895.6/35 21
LC Class	PL856.U673 N6713 2000

This novel is set in late 1960s Tokyo during a period when Japanese students, like those of many other nations, were protesting against the established order.[5] While it serves as the backdrop against which the events of the novel unfold, Murakami (through the eyes of Watanabe and Midori) portrays the student movement as largely weak-willed and hypocritical.

Murakami adapted the first section of the novel from an earlier short story, "Firefly". The story was subsequently included in the collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.[6]

Norwegian Wood was hugely popular with Japanese youth and made Murakami something of a superstar in his native country (apparently much to his dismay at the time).[7][8]

A film adaptation with the same title was released in 2010, directed by Tran Anh Hung.