University student Watanabe is spending one Sunday afternoon at Midori's. It's a sunny day and they're on the laundry deck after lunch, where they can see a neighborhood house caught in fire. Watanabe suggests they evacuate, but Midori wants to sing a song and that is what she does. She sings her terrible self-composed song called "I have nothing", and they drink beer while she talks about when her mother died -- she hadn't felt sad at all.
They feel somewhat "warm and close" after watching the glittering rooftops and the smoke and the red dragonflies together and they want to "preserve that mood in some form" -- they end up having a "soft and gentle kiss", "one not meant to lead beyond itself". Midori pulls away and tells Watanabe that she's seeing someone. He admits the same, and "the brief spell of the early autumn afternoon" vanishes. Watanabe leaves a couple hours later and asks Midori to come for a snack, but she says she has to stay in case the phone rings.
Midori: I hate waiting at home all day for a call. When I spend the day alone, I feel as if my flesh is rotting little by little -- rotting and melting until there's nothing left but a green puddle that gets sucked down into the earth. And all that stays behind are my clothes. That's how it feels to me, waiting indoors all day.
Watanabe: I'll keep you company next time you have to wait for a call, as long as lunch is included.
Midori: Great. I'll arrange another fire for dessert.
One of the best kissing scenes that I know of. Then again, I actually didn't like it at all when I read NW the first time. I was probably around 19-20 and I read the original in Japanese. I happened to read the English translation two years later, and I didn't think it was too bad (except that too many people die too easily). I don't know if it was me or the language, but if anyone's wondering which version they should read, I would still recommend the English copy.
I like that scene a lot too. Did you read that in Japanese or in English? It sounds a little different to me almost.
返信削除I really like the scene at the end of the book, the whole 'I was in this place that was no place.'
It's really nice to know that someone else likes the exact same part in a book. I love that scene too. I actually like the sentence itself. I also think it's beautiful how he describes the silence before Midori asks Watanebe where he is.
削除I actually read the book both in English and Japanese. I prefer the English version (maybe I didn't finish the original -- I remember not enjoying it much) though I don't know if it was because of the language difference since I read the English version years after the Japanese one.
There are many scenes and dialogs I really enjoyed in Norwegian Wood... I generally liked the book too (although perhaps not to the level of adulation it got in most of the Western world). One funny thing I remember: when I was first reading it, some 15 years ago, in Europe, I had people come up to me in the subway, on at least four different occasions, to tell me how much they had loved that book. All girls. I don't think this ever happened with any other book I read.
返信削除Have you seen the film adaptation? It's one of the rare cases where I enjoyed the film nearly as much as the book: even though it's quite different and nearly tells a different story...
I think Murakami fans are very passionate in general. Or maybe the girls were just trying to strike up a conversation with you!
削除I haven't seen the film actually. I never thought a story like NW could be interesting as a film. Thank you for the recommendation!
I've never read the Murakami's original versions. I read all his works in English. So I don't know his Japanese writing style.
返信削除Anyway, Norwegian Wood is not my favorite, especially I couldn't understand the last part. But I really like the chapter 4 in this book. I think this chapter is one of the best scenes in his whole works. I read this chapter over and over again.
I personally think Murakami's Japanese wording sounds really good in English. His humor sort of fits the English language.
削除I think it's the first time anyone has ever told me a specific chapter was the best of an author's works. For some reason, I think that's really cool. I'll definitely read the whole chapter again!