History Literature / NorwegianWood

* ADateWithRosiePalms: There are numerous lengthy discussions of masturbation in the novel.

* FetishizedAbuser: {{Subverted}}. Nagasawa is the BigManOnCampus and an unfaithful {{Cassanova}}. His girlfriend, Hatsumi, knows about his affairs and seems to be perfectly fine with it, therefore making it seem that his abusive behavior is part of his sexual appeal. However, we later learn that Hatsumi's massive self-esteem issues are behind her acceptance. Later in the plot, [[spoiler: she commits suicide because of Nagasawa's abuse, among other things]].

* BastardBoyfriend: Nagasawa to Hatsumi.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Sadly, Naoko, Hatsumi and Storm Trooper. Also Kizuki, whose death provides the catalyst for events in the novel. The reader never gets an inkling towards what caused his suicide, though. There's also Naoko's older sister whose suicide is also left unexplained. The novel seems to run on this trope.]]

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] was made in 2010 by the Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran. It was released in December 2010 in Japan, as well as festival showings and small releases in Canada and Italy. The cast features Creator/RinkoKikuchi, Creator/KenichiMatsuyama and Creator/ShigesatoItoi. The score was composed by [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Jonny Greenwood]].

* GenreAdultery: This book was a ''major'' departure from Murakami's earlier wacky, GenreBusting experimental novels. It was his [[BlackSheepHit first novel to become a bestseller]] and made him a celebrity in Japan practically overnight - [[CreatorBacklash much to his displeasure]], resulting in him leaving the country for many years. He has yet to write another "straightforward" novel such as this one.

%% PluckyGirl

* GenreAdultery: This book was a ''major'' departure from Murakami's earlier wacky, GenreBusting experimental novels. It was his first novel to become a bestseller and made him a celebrity in Japan practically overnight - much to his displeasure, resulting in him leaving the country for many years. He has yet to write another "straightforward" novel such as this one.

* BettyAndVeronica: On face value Midori is the more exotic, fun-loving Veronica and Naoko the old, childhood friend Betty, but Murakami plays with this throughout the novel and reader's perspective can be expected to flip.

* StartsWithASuicide: Not the book itself, but the Naoko and Watanabe's story definitely kicks off with Kizuki's suicide.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwegian_wood_book_cover_1540.jpg]]

* SiblingThemeNaming: Midori means "green" and her older sister is "Momoko", which means "peach girl".

The plot follows a love triangle among Watanabe, his childhood love [[FragileFlower Naoko]] and a girl he meets at university, the outspoken and lively [[ManicPixieDreamGirl Midori]]. Each girl represents different things to Watanabe but he has a hard time choosing.

* BrokenBird: Naoko.

* FragileFlower: Naoko.

* EpiphanicPrison: The Ami Hostel, to an extent.

* GenreAdultery: This book was a ''major'' departure from Murakami's earlier whacky, GenreBusting experimental novels. It was his first novel to become a bestseller and made him a celebrity in Japan practically overnight - much to his displeasure, resulting in him leaving the country for many years. He has yet to write another "straightforward" novel such as this one.

* PluckyGirl

* ChickMagnet: Nagasawa and, to a lesser extent, Watanabe.
** Being a bit of a {{Jerkass}}, Nagasawa is more of TheCasanova.

* HoneyTrap: See the TeensAreMonsters trope below.

* MillionairePlayboy: Nagasawa who befriends Toru at their dorm. He also doubles as the ImmatureHedonist.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwegian_wood_book_cover_1540.jpg

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] was made in 2010 by the Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran. It was released in December 2010 in Japan, as well as festival showings and small releases in Canada and Italy. The cast features Rinko Kikuchi, Creator/KenichiMatsuyama and Creator/ShigesatoItoi. The score was composed by [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Jonny Greenwood]].

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] was made in 2010 by the Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran. It was released in December 2010 in Japan, as well as festival showings and small releases in Canada and Italy. The cast features Rinko Kikuchi, KenichiMatsuyama and Creator/ShigesatoItoi. The score was composed by [[Music/{{Radiohead}} Jonny Greenwood]].

A [[TheFilmOfTheBook film adaptation]] was made in 2010 by the Vietnamese director Anh Hung Tran. It was released in December 2010 in Japan, as well as festival showings and small releases in Canada and Italy. The cast features Rinko Kikuchi, KenichiMatsuyama and Creator/ShigesatoItoi. The score was composed by [[RadioHead Jonny Greenwood]].

* AuthorAppeal: Several references to Sixties jazz and pop, ''TheGreatGatsby'', ''The Magic Mountain'' and various obscure WesternLiterature works.

* LoveHurts

''Norwegian Wood'' (Japanese: ノルウェイの森, ''Noruwei no Mori'') is a 1987 ComingOfAge novel by the Japanese author HarukiMurakami. The publication of this book led Murakami to unwanted superstardom in Japan; so much so that he eventually left for the United States and Germany. Fans of his works often note that ''Norwegian Wood'' as a novel is far removed from his ordinary works. It is a fairly straightforward tale of adolescent romance and the protagonist, Toru Watanabe, is very much an {{Everyman}} as opposed to other protagonists in works such as ''Literature/KafkaOnTheShore'' or ''Literature/AfterDark''.

* TokyoUniversity: Most of the novel is set during Watanabe's time as a student in Tokyo.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Sadly, Naoko and Hatsumi. Also Kizuki, whose death provides the catalyst for events in the novel. The reader never gets an inkling towards what caused his suicide, though. There's also Naoko's older sister whose suicide is also left unexplained. The novel seems to run on this trope.]]