Books to read: Norwegian Wood

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the most bizarre reading experiences I’ve had in my life. I hated this book! then I loved it and hated it again to fall in love with it all over again a few chapters later! After a while though I realised it was reminding me of the parts of myself I didn’t understand, or like and the memories that I hated not the book! Although hate might be a strong word for it, I guess it was just stirring up some strong emotions in me. It made me feel so many things and remember things I had completely forgotten! And some chapters just made my tears flowing for no apparent reason. I read it over three days! picked it up on a Friday evening and finished it just past midnight on Sunday..putting it down was not an option! and I was hoping it would go on forever!… and then watched the film right after but I fell asleep! then suddenly woke up in 5 a.m. and continued watching… somewhere then I didn’t know whether I’m awake or sleep, whether I’m still reading the book or watching a film, whether I’m there with Toru, Naoko, Kizuke and the rest, or merely an observer of this fictional world that felt so real thanks to the meticulous descriptions of everything painting such a vivid image in my head. I was fully absorbed by the words, as if the book was reading me! sounds crazy when I’m writing about it now!

Listening to the soundtrack of the movie on a sleepy Monday, I found myself still wandering in that world, wanting to just leave work and go for a very very long walk to think about everything and nothing! I think I will go on to read another Murakami book soon!

p.s. I listened to “The Beatles – Norwegian Wood” about 500 times afterwards! and this was a song I had never listened to!