The Age of Loss

Toru, our main protagonist, may be located somewhere in the middle of Naoko and Midori. Not just in terms of romantic triangle but also in how he deals with the inevitable losses in life. Norwegian Woods was translated into many languages, and for some reason, the translators chose the Korean title to be The Age of Loss. It must have intrigued more Korean audiences as the sales rate did increase after the title change. Obviously, I personally prefer the original title much more, but I can’t help but think ‘The Age of Loss’ carries something that captures the core essence of the novel. 

Norwegian Wood is, fundamentally, about people who don’t just deal with, but live with grief. Naoko loses her sister and her boyfriend, Midori loses her parents, and Toru loses his best friend and his first love at the end. Every character in the book loses someone, or something within them. In these painful events, what stands out is the characters’ suffering as well as their constant will to fight back. In that sense, Naoko and Midori stand on opposite sides, one who eventually chose freedom, and the other who chose to live, despite the torment. Toru stands between these two attitudes in life, but at the end of the book, Toru calls Midori, symbolizing how he chose to go on, no matter the confusion and the pain. 

In a way, we are all living through the age of loss. Every day and every year, someone passes away or leaves, and something within us changes. To this, through his writing, Murakami reminds us: Death is not opposite, but part of life. The only thing we can do is live on. In our own Norwegian woods.

 

Yewon Yun