#51: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

When I had the brief (but awesome) chance to speak with author Junot Diaz a few months ago, he suggested that I read Norwegian Wood. And like a good reader, I took his advice and finally picked it up last week. This was my introduction to Murakami and I didn’t know what to expect. The book is a love story, but it’s not the kind of romance that usually plays out in the two-people-fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after senario. In fact, there are twists and turns and more honesty than I’ve seen in awhile. The only issue I really had when reading the book however, was the translation. The names and places are strictly Japanese, but certain phrases and language are very American. I think it’s one of those books that makes the most sense in it’s native language.