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time； Reiko would lie in my arms trembling slightly； eyes closed； and
release a long sigh。
〃I never have to do this again；〃 said Reiko； 〃for the rest of my life。 Oh；
please； Watanabe； tell me it's true。 Tell me I can relax now because
I've done enough to last a lifetime。〃
〃Nobody can tell you that；〃 I said。 〃There's no way of knowing。〃
I tried to convince Reiko that taking a plane would be faster and
easier； but she insisted on going to Asahikawa by train。
〃I like the ferry to Hokkaido。 And I have no desire to fly through the
air；〃 she said。 I acpanied her to Ueno Station。 She carried her
guitar and I carried her suitcase。 We sat on a platform bench waiting
for the train to pull in。 Reiko wore the same tweed jacket and white
trousers she had on when she arrived in Tokyo。
〃Do you really think Asahikawa's not such a bad place？〃 she asked。
〃It's a nice town。 I'll visit you there soon。〃
〃Really？〃
I nodded。 〃And I'll write to you。〃
〃I love your letters。 Naoko burned all the ones you sent her。 And they
were such great letters too！〃
〃Letters are just pieces of paper；〃 I said。 〃Burn them； and what stays in
your heart will stay； keep them； and what
vanishes will vanish。〃
〃You know； Watanabe；
Asahikawa by myself。 So be sure to write to me。 Whenever I read
your letters； I feel you're right there next to me。〃
〃If that's what you want； I'll write all the time。 But don't worry。 I know
you： you'll do fine wherever you go。〃
〃And another thing。 I kind of feel like there's something stuck inside
me。 Could it be my imagination？〃
〃Just a lingering memory；〃 I said and smiled。 Reiko smiled； too。
〃Don't forget about me；〃 she said。
〃I won't forget you；〃 I said。 〃Ever。〃
〃We may never meet again； but no matter where I go； I'll always
remember you and Naoko。〃
I saw that she was crying。 Before I knew it； I was kissing her。 Others
on the platform were staring at us； but I didn't care about such things
any more。 We were alive； she and I。 And all we had to think about was
continuing to live。
〃Be happy；〃 Reiko said to me as she boarded the train。 〃I've given you
all the advice I have to give。 There's nothing left for me to say。 Just be
happy。 Take my share and Naoko's and bine them for yourself。〃
We held hands for a moment； and then we parted。
I phoned Midori。
〃I have to talk to you；〃 I said。 〃I have a million things to talk to you
about。 A million things we have to talk about。 All I want in this world
is you。 I want to see you and talk。 I want the two of us to begin
everything from the beginning。〃
Midori responded with a long； long silence … the silence of all the
misty rain in the world falling on all the new…mown lawns of the
world。 Forehead pressed against the glass； I shut my eyes and waited。
At last； Midori's quiet voice broke the silence： 〃Where are you now？〃
Where was I now？
Gripping the receiver； I raised my head and turned to see what lay
beyond the phone box。 Where was I now？ I had no idea。 No idea at
all。 Where was this place？ All that flashed into my eyes were the
countless shapes of people walking by to nowhere。 Again and again I
called out for Midori from the dead centre of this place that was no
place。
銆�
11。txt
Norwegian Wood
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE
Haruki Murakami was shocked and depressed to find his normal six…
figure readership exploding into the millions when he published
Norwegian Wood in 1987。 Fame was one thing； superstardom another；
and the craziness of it sent him back to the anonymity of Europe （he
had written the book in Greece and Italy）。 In 1991 he moved to the
United States。 Not until 1995 was he prepared to resume living in
Japan； but strictly on his own terms； without the television
appearances and professional pontificating expected of a bestselling
Japanese author。
Norwegian Wood is still the one Murakami book that 〃everyone〃 in
Japan has read； but Murakami's young audience has grown up with
him as he has begun wrestling with Japan's dark past （in The Wind…up
Bird Chronicle） and the 1995 double punch of the Kobe earthquake
and； in Underground； the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway。
Accustomed to his cool； fragmented； American…flavoured narratives
on mysterious sheep and disappearing elephants； some of Murakami's
early readers were dismayed to find that Norwegian Wood seemed to
be 〃just〃 a love story … and one that bore a suspicious resemblance to
the kind of Japanese main stream autobiographical fiction that
Murakami had rejected since his exciting debut in 1979。 As Murakami
himself tells it； 〃Many of my readers thought that Norwegian Wood
was a retreat for me； a betrayal of what my works had stood for until
then。 For me personally； however； it was just the opposite： it was an
adventure； a challenge。 I had never written that kind of straight； simple
story； and I wanted to test myself。 I set Norwegian Wood in the late
1960s。 I borrowed the details of the protagonist's university
environment and daily life from those of my own student days。 As a
result； many people think it is an autobiographical novel； but in fact it
is not autobiographical at all。 My own youth was far less dramatic； far
more boring than his。 If I had simply written the literal truth of my
own life； the novel would have been no more than 15 pages long。〃
The author may joke away its autobiographicality； but the book feels
like an autobiography； it favours lived experience over mind games
and shots at the supernatural； and it does indeed tell us much more
straightforwardly than any of his other novels what life was like for
the young Haruki Murakami when he first came to Tokyo from Kobe。
Back then； in the years 1968…70 that occupy the bulk of the novel；
Murakami's experience centred on meeting the love of his life； his
wife； Yoko； amid the turbulence of the student movement。 The author
is right； though： there is a lot of fiction here； and a lot of caricature
and humour； and a lot of symbolism that Murakami's regular readers
will recognise instantly。 It is by no means 〃just〃 a love story。
Determined Murakami readers abroad may have succeeded in
obtaining copies of Alfred Birnbaum's earlier translation of
Norwegian Wood； which was produced for distribution in Japan； with
grammar notes at the back； to enable students to enjoy their favourite
author as they struggled with the mysteries of English。 Although the
novel has appeared in
French； Italian； Chinese； Korean； Norwegian and Hebrew； the present
edition is the first English translation that Murakami has authorized
for publication outside Japan。
JAY RUBIN
銆�
2。txt
Norwegian Wood
2
Once upon a time； many years ago … just 20 years ago； in fact … I was
living in a dormitory。 I was 18 and a first…year student。 I was new to
Tokyo and new to living alone； and so my anxious parents found a
private dorm for me to live in rather than the kind of single room that
most students took。 The dormitory provided meals and other facilities
and would probably help their unworldly 18 …year…old survive。
Expenses were also a consideration。 A dorm cost far