Book Review : Norwegian Wood ( Haruki Murakami )

Norwegian Wood is Murakami's most normal book till date and his most iconic work too !! With a title inspired by the Beatles hit by the same name, it is solely responsible for his legendary status in the Western world. A love story where most of the characters are closely linked by death, it is devoid of a fairy tale ending. But what else can one expect when you have an mad genius like Murakami takes a shot at penning down romance .

The protagonist Toru lives a world of anonymity to escape his past. But the past has a way of catching up with one and he bumps into someone from his past. Naoko is the childhood sweetheart of his dead friend Kizuki. He falls in love with her and from thereon starts his foray into a world of despair.

The book delves into adolescent sexuality, masturbation, dormitory life, student politics and other such day to day issues that most youngsters have to deal with. But the high point of the book is a normal character, Midori. An absolute delight, the girl is almost like a ray of sunshine on a dark and gloomy day. Despite the problems that plague her family, she carries on living with a braveness that belies her tender age. When she falls in love with Toru, she is already in a relationship but cannot stop herself from being drawn to him. She loves him unconditionally and yet she does not let herself be treated as the doormat. Everything that she does makes it quite apparent that she is both human and superhuman at the same time.

Another lovable character is the woman Reiko who shares a room with Noako at the sanatorium. Her story is something that should be shared with every kid's parents. A child prodigy who has her special powers taken away from her suddenly, she describes her state in these moving lines."No more applause, no one would make a big fuss over me, no one would tell me how wonderful I was."

Overall, it is a wonderful book and arguably most enjoyable ( I think I will tie this one with Kakfa On The Shore ) among all of Murakami's works. Yet, if you used to his dark and oppressive volumes, it may actually comes across as a little too lighthearted. But one that cannot be deemed superficial by any yardstick.

Highly recommended !!

Book Review: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles ( by Haruki Murakami )

Profound and abstract at the same time, 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles' has been one of the most impressive books that I have read in recent days. Taking off with a mundane beginning that has a couple searching for their missing cat, the storyline quickly delves into their disintegrating marriage, a host of psychic characters, and surprisingly the evil happenings of World War II. It is not a neat little plot where all the strings are tied up but more like an magnificent abstract canvas on which the artist has painted discrete images with bold strokes.

Toru Okada's life in suburban Tokya is less than idyllic. He has lost his job and is hardly interested in finding another one. But when his wife Kumiko leaves him, he is completely shattered. Then there is his strange relationship with a sixteen year old girl who is fascinated with death. He discovers a dried up well and climbs down to the bottom to think with renewed clarity. A dream encounter with a prostitute in a hotel room leaves him with a purple scar on the face. And this scar is what draws another psychic woman towards him. She helps him with his search for Kumiko but at a price. He must turn into a 'prostitute of the mind' .

These surreal happenings in Okada's life are juxtaposed with the spine chilling and often nauseating events of the World War . One of the most memorable sections of the book is the skinning of a prisoner that is described in morbid detail. It is just too grotesque to be forgotten in a long time. The zoo massacre comes a close second on the grotesque scale.

And then there is the story of the shitty island which is actually symbolic of too many things than happen in the world. Things that propagate themselves by their own power to such an extent that after a point on one is capable of putting a stop to it. Not even the one who started it in the first place. Too philosophical ? Yes, it is .

If you have been wondering about the book's title,  'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles' is derived from the mechanical screeching of a bird that is portrayed as the harbinger of catastrophe. While it packs in quite a punch, this book is only recommended for die-hard fans of Murakami !!

[ If you looking to pick Murakami's works, I would recommend something like 'Kafka on the Shore' or 'Norwegian Wood' for the beginners. ] 

Book Review : Kafka On The Shore (Haruki Murakami)

Murukami is a master story teller and in an exclusive league of his own. He manages to weave a tantalizing tale, draws a reader into its web and then forces him/her to the limits of one's imagination . Divorce any thoughts of a comfort zone and be ready to adapt to a style of writing / cultural shift which one seldom encounters. Infact the last time I experienced anything like this was when I picked up 'Dead souls' by Nikolay Gogol. And I am no conservative reader by any stretch of imagination.

The story begins with a teenager leaving the comforts of his home to escape a damning prophecy made by his own father. He sets off on a journey that takes him to a library where he befriends a young man. There he meets a mysterious women and discovers a strange connection with her. But even more strange is the mentally impaired old man who has an ability to communicate with cats. A series of unrelated events take place that seem irrelevant to the plot at first. But after a while, one realizes that they do propel the narration in a direction that can best be described as winding for a considerable duration before that sudden burst of clarity dawns upon the reader.

Such is the story telling prowess of the author that one is unable to read this book at one's own pace. Murukami sets the pace and often forces one to stop and mull over the happenings instead of ploughing through the pages. Kafka or the lead character is forced to encounter a world that is as vast and mysterious as the sea. The titles of this book evokes the analogy of a man standing on the shore while trying to comprehend the vastness of what lies in front. Everything seems so surreal that one still feels the chills ( or aftereffects if you may please ) for days after finishing this masterpiece.

Twisted is how I would put it. While I did try to make a few theories of my own and draw some conclusions to understand this book, there are endless ways in which it can be interpreted. And I somehow get the feeling that I will come up with new theories/analogies when I read it again ( which will be pretty soon ). Even if the climax is something of a let down, it is a case of the journey being more exciting than the destination.

This is one plot that unravels in layers, often transcending the dimension of time and space. Be prepared to cast aside your prejudices and inhibitions before taking up this wonderful read that will forever change the way you look at fiction. One has not experienced the apex of fiction writing unless one has explored Murukami's works.

This is a 'MUST' read unless you want something exclusively light hearted !!