A touching story inspired by The Beatles - what does the Norwegian forests have to do with it?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The book "Norwegian Forest" is written by the legendary Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The plot of the book is tightly intertwined with the melody and words of the song of the same name, but the Norwegian forests have nothing to do with it.

This single was popular in the 60s. It helps the reader mentally travel back in time and live for some time next to the characters. This work of Murakami is distinguished by hyperrealism, the life of young heroes is described in a naturalistic and detailed way, without embellishment. The history is permeated with the spirit of the 60s, the features of that time. The music of the Beatles played an important role in shaping the culture of young people of that generation, so it "sounds" in the novel. The book takes place in Japan, so in the behavior of the characters you can see the echoes of Japanese traditions and the spirit of a new European culture, but you will not find real Norwegian forests in it. In this work, the eternal questions of life are touched upon. The themes of love, friendship and death hovering over them are raised in the book "Norwegian Forest". The quotes of the novel about death are very deep, which is why they are so loved by the public. Murakami writes in an amazing, unique style,thanks to which his works are read in one breath. Norwegian forests, as you can see, are very distantly related to the plot.

Norwegian Forest - Plot Summary

Toru Watanabe, a young boy, a student, experienced a great shock in the recent past - death is the best friend of Kizuki. In order to forget about everything and start life anew, Toru leaves to study in Tokyo, where he hopes to find a purpose for his existence. He feels lost, looking for pleasure in life, but does not find it. The guy really does not know how to live and what to do. Soon the young man meets the girlfriend of his dead friend - Naoko. Tohru quickly bonds with Naoko, it seems that they have fallen in love, but the cruel reality is that Naoko cannot come to terms with Kizuki's death, which greatly affects her relationship with Tohru. They do not part, but the attraction gradually disappears between the lovers. The girl is sent to treat shattered nerves in a sanatorium. Meanwhile, Toru's life goes on as usual, he meets another beautiful girl - Midori. Tohru remembers this whole story many years later, standing at the airport, accidentally hearing the song "Norwegian Forest".

Norwegian Forest movie summary

In 2010, the film of the same name, based on the book, was released under the direction of French director Chan Anh-hung.

The film caused a mixed reaction. It is also extremely realistic, also imbued with the spirit of the 60s, the theme of love and loss.loved ones. The picture is full of erotic scenes, shots of Japanese nature (again, not Norwegian forests) and good music of the 60s. Despite disagreements among critics about the plot or closeness to the content of the book, the audience is unanimous in recognizing the performance of the actors as excellent. Young people masterfully convey the feelings, emotions and experiences of the main characters. The film is very unusual, different from everything that was previously filmed by French cinema. In the film adaptation of "Norwegian Forest" some deviations from the storyline of the book are allowed, but the atmosphere created by Haruki Murakami is completely preserved. The film will be of interest to both young people and the older generation.