Norwegian Wood
When the word best-seller is used to describe a book it makes most purists gag and conjures thoughts of Dan Brown-esque chapter hooks and characters thinner than an Olsen twin. Fortunately, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami is everything that most conventional best seller’s aren’t.
Well paced and relying on imagery instead of cheap trickery it gives direction to the journey without telling the reader exactly where to go. The main character of Watanabe is Holden Caulfield-esque without the western angst, and although a realist novel, Murakami’s prose still captures the beautiful, complex and enigmatic nature of the people that cross his path.
Murakami’s work has been compared to the best sort of pop song, ‘sad, deceptively simple and impossible to forget’. Norwegian Wood is a must read for all those who haven’t already and a re-read for all those who have forgotten just how good it really is.
Format: Book
Motivation: Improve your dinner conversation
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