Norwegian Wood

Recommended by a friend.

Good book, easy to read, definitely Murakami’s most accessible. I loved its reflection on death, depression, suicide, and the naivety of young people. Japanese culture is very different from mine, and I did not identify much with the characters, but it remains a good book that makes an impact. It tackles very delicate themes, at times with ferocity, yet it stays slow and enjoyable, unfolding Watanabe’s world little by little. Toward the end I hurried a bit; I do not like books without a real conclusion, but I have seen worse.

The key point is that death should not defeat us, but we have to keep going. As the book puts it: “Death exists, not as the opposite but as a part of life.”

I see why it was recommended.