EP-4: Norwegian Wood

So today, we'll be talking about Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. And I've been sitting with it for a bit, trying to figure out how to talk about it. It's one of those books that, you know, quietly stays. And the more you think about it, the heavier it feels. The story follows Toru. He's a college student in Tokyo. He's a bit lost, just quietly moving through with his life. Trying to understand what love means and what loss and grief feels like. And how to keep going when people around you are suffering. So there are two girls, Naoko and Midori. Naoko is a very gentle, soft, and beautiful girl. But she carries a lot of sadness. She's very beautiful, but she's going through a lot of pain. And then there is Midori. She's very funny, unpredictable, and so full of life. She's bold, she's sometimes confusing, but she's very honest. But this book isn't about, you know, a love triangle or Toru choosing between them. It's not actually even about romance, to be honest. It's more about loneliness. About grief that doesn't go away quickly. And the way people slowly fall apart even when they pretend to be okay. So what really got to me is how Murakami writes about silence. There is this sadness running through the whole book. It just sits there, like background noise in your head until you finish the book. And I kept thinking about how we don't always know how to help people we love. Sometimes they pull away, you know, we can't help them. And all we can do is watch, and that really hurts. The writing is very simple, but the emotions hit deep. And that made me want to slow down. Norwegian Wood isn't a book that gives you answers. It just sits with you for a while. We'll share the sadness with the book. So yeah, if you ever feel a little disconnected, or a little heavy, or if you have tried to hold someone who is slipping away, you will feel this. That's all for today. Thanks for being here. Take care of yourself and the people who matter to you. Talk to you soon.