The book-packing journey visits Japan, which has to mean Murakami and Norwegian Wood.
The narrator, Toru Watanabe, hears the strains of the Beatles hit, Norwegian Wood, and his mind is transported back 18 years to 1969 when he was a student in Tokyo. He was a bit of a misfit, scarred by the suicide of his close schoolfriend Kizuki.
At college he befriends Nagasawa, a party animal and insatiable womaniser, despite having a perfectly lovely girlfriend. Over the course of the academic year, Watanabe acts as his wingman, picking up his leavings, but also meets three other, more interesting, young women.
Naoko is his dead friend’s girlfriend (ex now!). She and Watanabe wander the streets of Tokyo seeking meaning in the absence of their common soulmate. Hatsumi is Nagasawa’s girlfriend, who tolerates his misbehaviour. This mystifies Watanabe, who sympathises with her and would like to offer a better option. Midori is a student on one of his modules. She, too, has her own boyfriend, but likes hanging out with Watanabe.
Stuff happens as Watanabe ricochets between the three girls. They mainly talk about relationships and feelings, but as they get closer, things develop. Watanabe is not shy when it comes to describing the sex, such as it is. The clinical fashion of such description may be a cultural thing, or a translation problem, though the otherwise the prose is easy on the eye.
Things get serious, so it is not a tale of fun, games, and student high jinks. The opposite in fact, and a narrative hook is how bad can things get before they get better. The other hook is will Watanabe be able to find a happy ending.
The Tokyo and wider Japan background, while
not intrusive, provides glimpses of local colour. But this is all about Watanabe,
and his inner monologue.
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