I just read Norwegian Wood by prolific Japanese author Haruki Murakami and this is one of a few books that left a haunting impression on me. His depiction of death and depression is disturbingly real. Norwegian Wood explores the facets of the human emotion and the complexities that lie within.
The characters in Norwegian Wood are flawed; they walk on the tight rope known as mental illness. Three characters plunge to their deaths when life deals a blow that leaves them imbalanced. Murakami's description of their struggle with the dark side of living is intriguingly fascinating.
Everyone has a little crazy in them. A streak of absolute insanity that remains dormant until something triggers it. Be it the death of someone close or the realisation that everything we've ever lived for is meaningless. A small crack in your personality and slowly, you begin to slip. Lose grip of who you are. Humans are fragile and it doesn't take much for someone to cross over into no man's land. But once the core of your soul crumples, it is immensely difficult to return back to sanity.
Try dwelling onto the most negative thoughts in your mind. Think about it repetitively, everyday and every waking second and the chances are you would feel not quite right. I have memories and feelings that I choose not to revisit. These bits from the past hurt so much that I've buried them in a corner of my heart. I honestly believe that if I think about them frequently, I will never succeed in being a happy person. Instead, I would be a successfully depressed person.
1 comments:
Honestly I was quite disturbed after reading this book (by the way I read the Chinese version). Then a friend of mine tried to explain to me what Haruki Murakami was trying to tell. This book is so powerful that even after more than 20 years, people are still reading it. Some Taiwanese bands were so inspired that they wrote songs out of this book. There is one song with exactly the same title "Norwegian Wood" or "挪威的森林".
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