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NORWEGIAN WOOD

by Haruki Murakami & translated by Jay Rubin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2000

A contemporary equivalent of This Side of Paradise or Vile Bodies, and another solid building-block in one of contemporary...

A first US appearance of a novel originally published in 1987, this crisp portrayal of “flaming youth” in the late 1960s proves one of Murakami’s most appealing—if uncharacteristic—books.

Best known to us as the comic surrealist-symbolist author of such rousing postmodernist fare as A Wild Sheep Chase (1989), Murakami is also a highly intelligent romantic who feels the pangs of his protagonist Toru Watanabe’s insistent sexual and intellectual hungers and renders them with unsparing clarity (the matter-of-fact sexual frankness here seems unusual for a Japanese novel, even a 1987 one).Toru’s narrative of his student years, lived out against a backdrop of ongoing “campus riots,” focuses on the lessons he learns from relationships with several highly individual characters, two of them women he simultaneously loves (or thinks he loves). Mercurial Naoko, who clearly perceives the seeds of her own encroaching madness (“It’s like I’m split in two and playing tag with myself”), continues to tug away at Toru’s emotions even after she enters a sanatorium. Meanwhile, coy fellow student Midori tries to dispel shadows cast by her parents’ painful deaths by fantasizing and simulating—though never actually experiencing—sex with him. Other perspectives on Toru’s hard-won assumption of maturity are offered by older student Nagasawa (“a secret reader of classic novels,” and a compulsive seducer); Naoko’s roommate Reiko, a music teacher (and self-styled interpreter of such Beatles’ songs as the one that provides Murakami’s evocative title) who’s perhaps also her lesbian lover; and the specter of Toru’s boyhood friend Kizuki, a teenaged suicide. There’s a lot of talk about books (particularly Fitzgerald’s and Hesse’s) and other cultural topics, in a blithely discursive and meditative story that’s nevertheless firmly anchored to the here and now by the vibrant immediacy of its closely observed characters and their quite credibly conflicted psyches and libidos.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-375-70402-7

Page Count: 296

Publisher: Vintage

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000

LITERARY FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Haruki Murakami ; translated by Philip Gabriel & Ted Goossen

by Haruki Murakami ; translated by Philip Gabriel

THE SECRET HISTORY

by Donna Tartt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 16, 1992

The Brat Pack meets The Bacchae in this precious, way-too-long, and utterly unsuspenseful town-and-gown murder tale. A bunch of ever-so-mandarin college kids in a small Vermont school are the eager epigones of an aloof classics professor, and in their exclusivity and snobbishness and eagerness to please their teacher, they are moved to try to enact Dionysian frenzies in the woods. During the only one that actually comes off, a local farmer happens upon them—and they kill him. But the death isn't ruled a murder—and might never have been if one of the gang—a cadging sybarite named Bunny Corcoran—hadn't shown signs of cracking under the secret's weight. And so he too is dispatched. The narrator, a blank-slate Californian named Richard Pepen chronicles the coverup. But if you're thinking remorse-drama, conscience masque, or even semi-trashy who'll-break-first? page-turner, forget it: This is a straight gee-whiz, first-to-have-ever-noticed college novel—"Hampden College, as a body, was always strangely prone to hysteria. Whether from isolation, malice, or simple boredom, people there were far more credulous and excitable than educated people are generally thought to be, and this hermetic, overheated atmosphere made it a thriving black petri dish of melodrama and distortion." First-novelist Tartt goes muzzy when she has to describe human confrontations (the murder, or sex, or even the ping-ponging of fear), and is much more comfortable in transcribing aimless dorm-room paranoia or the TV shows that the malefactors anesthetize themselves with as fate ticks down. By telegraphing the murders, Tartt wants us to be continually horrified at these kids—while inviting us to semi-enjoy their manneristic fetishes and refined tastes. This ersatz-Fitzgerald mix of moralizing and mirror-looking (Jay McInerney shook and poured the shaker first) is very 80's—and in Tartt's strenuous version already seems dated, formulaic. Les Nerds du Mal—and about as deep (if not nearly as involving) as a TV movie.

Pub Date: Sept. 16, 1992

ISBN: 1400031702

Page Count: 592

Publisher: Knopf

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1992

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by Donna Tartt

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SEEN & HEARD

THINGS FALL APART

by Chinua Achebe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 23, 1958

This book sings with the terrible silence of dead civilizations in which once there was valor.

Written with quiet dignity that builds to a climax of tragic force, this book about the dissolution of an African tribe, its traditions, and values, represents a welcome departure from the familiar "Me, white brother" genre.

Written by a Nigerian African trained in missionary schools, this novel tells quietly the story of a brave man, Okonkwo, whose life has absolute validity in terms of his culture, and who exercises his prerogative as a warrior, father, and husband with unflinching single mindedness. But into the complex Nigerian village filters the teachings of strangers, teachings so alien to the tribe, that resistance is impossible. One must distinguish a force to be able to oppose it, and to most, the talk of Christian salvation is no more than the babbling of incoherent children. Still, with his guns and persistence, the white man, amoeba-like, gradually absorbs the native culture and in despair, Okonkwo, unable to withstand the corrosion of what he, alone, understands to be the life force of his people, hangs himself. In the formlessness of the dying culture, it is the missionary who takes note of the event, reminding himself to give Okonkwo's gesture a line or two in his work, The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger .

Pub Date: Jan. 23, 1958

ISBN: 0385474547

Page Count: 207

Publisher: McDowell, Obolensky

Review Posted Online: April 23, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1958

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by Chinua Achebe

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Book Review – Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Posted on February 24, 2020 February 24, 2020 Author Katie Perhai

“Memory is a funny thing. When I was in the scene, I hardly paid it any mind. I never stopped to think of it as something that would make a lasting impression, certainly never imagined that eighteen years later I would recall it in such detail. I didn’t give a damn about the scenery that day. I was thinking about myself. I was thinking about the beautiful girl walking next to me. I was thinking about the two of us together, and then about myself again. It was the age, that time of life when every sight, every feeling, every thought came back, like a boomerang, to me. And worse, I was in love. Love with complications. The scenery was the last thing on my mind.”

I don’t usually read books like Norwegian Wood . I’d been wanting to become acquainted with Haruki Murakami novels for a while — 1Q84, Kafka On the Shore — and it happened that my library had a copy of Norwegian Wood . I’d heard that it was a good novel, so I figured, “What the heck, let’s see what you got, Murakami” and picked it up.

Norwegian Wood is set in Japan during the late 1960s/early 1970s, and follows a young man named Toru Watanabe, a university student living in Tokyo following the suicide of his only friend in high school, Kizuki. Another prominent character throughout the novel is Naoko, Kizuki’s girlfriend. It is through Kizuki’s death that Toru and Naoko are connected and begin to find solace with each other, despite each character carrying their own baggage.

To be honest, the plot of Norwegian Wood sounds mundane and simple when I try to describe it, so it might feel like a cop-out to say the novel embodies life itself. Many scenes are comprised of Toru going to class, working, speaking with people, and having various sexual encounters. Toru’s life is by no means extraordinary nor does he possess traditional hero qualities of being valiant or supremely intelligent. But there’s something very human about this novel that gives Norwegian Wood its charm. Murakami’s voice is definitely the influence behind this; I found his subtle but precise choice of words and the nonchalant quality of his characters endearing, and at times even laughed aloud, despite the novel being a far cry from a comedy.

“The dead will always be dead, but we have to go on living.”

While Norwegian Wood is set in the past — not just in regards to our time, but also middle-aged Toru reflecting on his youth — the questions and themes it raises are timeless ones that affect anyone no matter where they live: who will we lose in our life? Who will you love and surround yourself with?  How will I live my life, but also how will I cope when I see others’ lives end?

Toru grapples with all of these questions during his university years, so arguably this is a coming of age novel, though I’d also classify it to be New Adult/Realistic Fiction. As a college student myself, I could identify with much of what Murakmai was bringing to the table, the idea of loss and pain and recovery and — a stage many people don’t like to acknowledge — relapse . Whether it’s witnessing others spiral out of control, despite loving them, or failing your expectations.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say any of these characters are likeable, per se, but they felt like realistic people. There’s Toru, of course, who is much to himself but reflective of the world around him and the people encompassing it. He carries a quiet energy, which I thought made him a suitable lead. There’s the mysterious Naoko, the girl whose past overlaps with Toru’s, and the girl that more or less is Toru’s love-interest throughout the novel. I don’t at all believe Murakami wrote Toru and Naoko’s relationship to embody a healthy one, but to indicate how mental health takes its toll a relationship, the stress and pain of seeing someone, namely Naoko, become unstable.

But there’s also Midori, who can function as a foil to Naoko. While Naoko is elusive, Midori is a brash university student attending the same school as Toru, who takes a liking to him.  There’s Reiko Ishida, Naoko’s roommate whom Toru comes to meet later in the novel. Other side-characters gave the novel some flavor, such as Toru’s odd roommate whom he nicknames “Stormtrooper,” Nagasawa, Toru’s arrogant and rich university friend. No character felt like a throwaway nor an afterthought. I think with each character, they helped carry the idea of the masks we might put up to other people, whether it’s a mask of arrogance or competence or innocence. Everyone has a past, a skeleton or two in their closet that they’ll only reveal to those whom they feel safe enough to feel vulnerable around.

For a while, I’d questioned why this novel is titled Norwegian Wood , after the Beatles song. It’s mentioned only once in the beginning in the novel, and out of curiosity I looked up the lyrics. I definitely think this song ties into Toru and Naoko’s relationship and bittersweet/melancholic melody of the novel. Music itself plays a prominent theme throughout the novel, with constant song references from Toru, and even Toru working at a record store. I think the reason for music being such a big theme throughout Norwegian Wood is that music is timeless. Different generations can resonate with different sounds and lyrics, and music is something we may listen to cope, to bury ourselves away from reality, even if just for a minute. Music can also be a transformative process, one song can move us or make us remember bittersweet and painful times.

Really, my main gripe with the novel is how it ends. Not to spoil it, though it didn’t quite feel like an ending to me. As I reflect on Norwegian Wood , however, I’m beginning to think more and more that this “open” ending of sorts was Murakami’s point. That life itself has no ending or our endings aren’t so conclusive. I am curious about the progression of Toru from university to his adult self looking back on his memories, but that will always remain a mystery. I think it’s fitting, as with the people we meet in our lives, we don’t know every detail of their story.

Is this my favorite book?  Not necessarily, though I’d recommend others to read it. The messages in this book aren’t necessarily easy pills to swallow, so if you’re intending for a happy-go-lucky read, then I’d probably skip  Norwegian Wood . It’s the type of book I wouldn’t reread, but it’s a novel that made me ponder or revisit plenty of fundamental questions. Bottom line, we will lose the people we love, friends and lovers will fall out of our lives, and there will be mistakes we make in our lives or watch others make towards other people that we won’t be able to rewrite, because that’s the power of time. It can only go forward, not back. The characters interacting with each other are nostalgic, they do recount the times that made them to be the person they are today. And that journey of transformation isn’t easy, but reading about it made these characters visceral. I am definitely still interested in reading more of Murakami’s work, as I think his writing is beautiful and something to cherish.

Norwegian Wood

Summary of norwegian wood, audio of norwegian wood, target audience for norwegian wood, author background of norwegian wood, historical context of norwegian wood, mindmap of norwegian wood, chapter summary of norwegian wood, chapter1: the beatles, dormitory, naoko.

Airplane Memory Trigger: Toru hears ‘Norwegian Wood’ on a plane, leading him to reminisce about his past. Complex Relationships: Toru’s memories are particularly focused on his relationship with Naoko, highlighting emotional depth. Student Dormitory: The setting of Toru’s solitary life in the dormitory emphasizes his isolation despite being surrounded by peers. Walks and Conversations: Toru and Naoko’s walks and talks are central to their connection, showcasing their emotional turbulence. Nostalgia and Introspection: The chapter sets up a narrative rich with reflective and bittersweet memories of the past.

Chapter2: University Life, Kizuki's Death

University Life: Toru feels detached and unmotivated in his studies. Kizuki’s Suicide: The death of his best friend leaves Toru grappling with existential questions. Relationship with Naoko: Toru and Naoko find solace in each other but also experience unspoken tension. Internal Struggle: Toru’s monologue reveals his difficulty in understanding Kizuki’s suicide. Themes: The chapter explores grief, memory, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Chapter3: Naoko's Birthday, Walks in the Countryside

Deepening Relationship: The chapter explores the growing bond between Toru and Naoko as they spend significant time together. Naoko’s Mental State: Naoko’s fragile mental condition and her history of depression are revealed through intimate conversations. Kizuki’s Suicide: The impact of Kizuki’s suicide on Naoko is a focal point, explaining her emotional struggles. Countryside Setting: The serene countryside contrasts with the emotional turmoil experienced by the characters, enhancing the narrative’s depth. Need for Understanding: Naoko’s plea for patience and understanding from Toru highlights the emotional challenges they will face.

Chapter4: Reiko, Ami Hostel

Toru’s visit to the Ami Hostel: Toru visits Naoko at the sanatorium, providing a setting for significant character interactions. Introduction of Reiko: Reiko Ishida, Naoko’s roommate, becomes a key figure in the narrative by sharing her own troubled past. Deeper character insights: Conversations between Toru, Naoko, and Reiko reveal more about their inner struggles and emotional burdens. Themes of love and loss: The chapter explores complex themes such as love, loss, and healing, set against the serene backdrop of the hostel. Reflection on human connections: Toru’s reflections on his visit underscore the novel’s exploration of the complexities of human relationships and emotional scars.

Chapter5: Midori, Record Store

Toru’s relationships: The chapter explores Toru’s interactions with Midori and contrasts them with his connection to Naoko. Midori’s personality: Midori’s lively and unconventional nature is a stark contrast to Naoko’s introspective demeanor. Record store setting: The setting of a record store serves as a backdrop for meaningful conversations and character development. Internal conflict: Toru grapples with the choice between moving forward with Midori or staying attached to his memories of Naoko. Symbolic turning point: The chapter hints at a potential turning point in Toru’s emotional journey through his interaction with Midori.

Chapter6: Storm Trooper, Midori's Story

Storm Trooper’s quirks: The peculiar habits of Toru’s dorm-mate offer both comic relief and a sense of isolation. Midori’s openness: Her candid nature and willingness to share personal stories reveal her depth and vulnerability. Caring for her father: Midori’s history of looking after her ill father highlights her resilience and compassionate nature. Emotional contrast: The differences between Toru’s introspection and Midori’s forthrightness create a rich emotional dynamic. Themes of isolation and intimacy: The chapter explores these themes through the characters’ interactions and personal reflections.

Chapter7: Tokyo, Toru and Naoko

Toru’s reflections: Toru Watanabe reflects on his relationship with Naoko, highlighting their emotional complexities. Naoko’s struggles: Naoko is recovering in a sanatorium, dealing with her mental health issues and the trauma of Kizuki’s suicide. Emotional support: Toru provides support and care for Naoko, despite his own feelings of helplessness. Themes of love and loss: The chapter explores themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning amidst chaos. Contemplative ending: The chapter concludes with both characters reflecting on their uncertain futures and fragile bond.

Chapter8: Naoko's Letters, Memory of the Dead

Naoko’s Letters: The chapter is primarily composed of letters from Naoko to Toru, providing insight into her mental state. Sanatorium Life: Naoko describes her experiences and struggles while staying at a sanatorium. Memories of the Dead: Naoko reflects on the suicides of her sister and Kizuki, which deeply affected her. Toru’s Reflections: Toru contemplates his own feelings and the complexity of his relationship with Naoko. Themes of Love and Loss: The chapter emphasizes the impact of love, loss, and memory on the characters’ lives.

Chapter9: Toru's Loneliness, Midori's Family

Toru’s Loneliness: His struggle with pervasive feelings of isolation and emotional turmoil. Naoko’s Sanatorium: The impact of Naoko’s absence and her treatment on Toru’s mental state. Midori’s Invitation: Midori invites Toru to meet her family, signifying a deepening connection. Family Dynamics: The visit reveals Midori’s father’s illness and the complexities of her family life. Themes of Solitude: The chapter explores the themes of loneliness, love, and the search for meaning.

Chapter10: Midori's Kiss, Toru's Confusion

Toru’s Emotional Landscape: The chapter delves deep into Toru’s internal struggles and emotional conflicts. Midori’s Kiss: An unexpected kiss from Midori triggers a mix of joy and confusion in Toru. Loyalty to Naoko: Toru grapples with his sense of loyalty and responsibility toward Naoko. Midori vs. Naoko: The stark contrast between Midori’s lively personality and Naoko’s fragile nature complicates Toru’s feelings. Unresolved Confusion: Toru’s internal confusion remains unresolved, hinting at future challenges in his relationships.

Chapter11: Naoko's Suicide, Toru's Grief

Toru’s profound sorrow: The chapter explores Toru’s deep emotional pain upon learning about Naoko’s suicide. Letter from Reiko: Toru is informed of Naoko’s death through a letter from Reiko, her roommate at the sanatorium. Feelings of guilt: Toru struggles with intense guilt, questioning if he could have prevented Naoko’s death. Isolation and withdrawal: Toru becomes increasingly isolated, distancing himself from friends and routine activities. Solitary journey: Toru embarks on a solitary trip to the countryside to seek solace and come to terms with his loss.

Chapter12: Toru's Isolation, Midori's Love

Toru’s Isolation: Toru experiences profound loneliness and introspection. Naoko’s Absence: Naoko’s continued absence heightens Toru’s sense of detachment. Midori’s Warmth: Midori provides Toru with emotional support and affection. Contrasting Personalities: Midori’s vivacious nature contrasts with Toru’s brooding disposition. Emotional Nuances: The chapter explores the balance between isolation and intimacy in human relationships.

Flashcards of Norwegian Wood

Discussion questions for norwegian wood, 1.how do the themes of love and loss shape the characters' development, 2.what does the novel suggest about the impact of mental health on relationships, 3.how does the setting of 1960s japan influence the story, 4.in what ways do toru's relationships with naoko and midori differ, 5.what role does music play in the novel, 6.how does murakami use symbolism to enhance the narrative, 7.what is the significance of the novel's title, 8.how does toru's character evolve throughout the story, 9.what does the novel convey about the process of healing and moving on, 10.how do the secondary characters, like reiko and nagasawa, contribute to the main themes, book reviews of norwegian wood, requently asked questions about norwegian wood, 1.what is the main theme of 'norwegian wood', 2.who is the protagonist of the story, 3.how does toru's relationship with naoko evolve, 4.who is midori, and what role does she play in the novel, 5.what significance does the song 'norwegian wood' by the beatles hold in the novel, 6.how does the novel address mental health issues, 7.what is the significance of the setting in the late 1960s in tokyo, 8.how does toru cope with the losses he experiences, 9.what role does the character reiko play in the story, 10.how does 'norwegian wood' end, and what message does it convey.

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People who loved Norwegian Wood (Murakami), what did you like about the book?

I read Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami several years ago. I was very excited to finally read one of his books, having just read a few short stories. From what I understand, this is a well-loved book, but I just didn't get it...

I am not trying to be mean/negative, but I found I absolutely hated the book. I didn't really like anything about the characters, and by the end of the book I was left with the overwhelming feeling of, "What was the point of this?"

I am NOT writing this post to rant about the book or to get in arguments, but I would really like to understand better why people love it so much.

What did you love about this book?

Would you recommend Murakami's other books to someone who didn't like Norwegian Wood?

Thank you in advance. Once again, I am not here to argue - if anything, if I hear something compelling, maybe I will go back and re-read it, or read something else by Murakami.

EDIT: I appreciate everyone's great comments. They are super interesting and helping me process this experience - even all these years later. If there is one thing I can say, is that the book really stuck with me.

Also, as someone who was a Japanese lit. major, and who lived in Japan a long time (and is fluent), Murakami is an itch I haven't been able to scratch properly, and I think now that we have been able to talk about it later, I am ready to give him a second try with another book (eventually - I have a lot of books on my reading list...)

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A Reflection on “Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami

Growing up in a predominantly Caucasian community, I was often fed Eurocentric literature in school and consumed media mainly centered around white narratives. Works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway dominated my English classes. I was always hearing about what the white man had to say, what friendship and love was for the white man or what struggle and conflict the white man had to face. It was only towards the end of high school when I began exploring the intersection of my AAPI identity with the books and literature I was consuming. My first introduction to an Asian American author was with Haruki Murakami, and I embraced my AAPI community through his writing. His books have erased any Eurocentric notions I had of literature and pushed me to explore definitions of life and love outside of the box that the narrow-minded texts of high school had placed me in.

Born in 1949, Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer who is renowned for his picaresque characters, magical realism and unique bildungsroman. His works are consistent bestsellers in Japan and have been subsequently translated into over 50 languages. Murakami’s trademark ability to deftly balance the sadness and tranquility of loneliness pulls the heartstrings of many. The New York Times referred to him as “the most widely read Japanese writer outside of Japan, past or present.”

One of his most notable works is his 1987 novel “Norwegian Wood,” a hauntingly beautiful love story that combines Murakami’s quintessential elements of nostalgia, loneliness and ennui. Named after the Beatles’ 1965 song “Norwegian Wood,” the book is a reminiscence of protagonist and narrator Toru Watanbe’s college years and his developing sexuality. He develops two deep romantic relationships with polar opposite women: outgoing, eccentric Midori and the elusive and deeply troubled Naoko.

Upon first reading the novel, I found Toru aloof and pensive. His narration was detached even when pertaining to extremely emotional personal events like falling in love for the first time or losing a friend to suicide. At first, it was slightly unsettling, but as I got further into the book and read other works by Murakami, I found that his writing style was comforting in a sense. Through his words, one feels as though they are in the depths of lush green woods on a foggy day, the leaves crunching and the air permeating with silence.

What I found interesting about the book’s romances was not Midori and Toru’s playful dynamic or the endearing letters exchanged between Naoko and Toru, but rather the way the two women transformed Toru. The more I read, the deeper into the woods I ventured, and in these woods was a long, winding path of growth and transformation for Toru. In this aspect, “Norwegian Wood” is a testament to how one person’s love can change you—what are the odds of that? Out of the millions of billions of people on Earth, Toru, Midori, and Naoko were brought clumsily yet divinely together.

Reading about their lives reminded me of the power that love and affection has and inspired me to reflect on the role of love in my own life. Murakami wrote, from the point of view of Midori, “I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it—to be fed so much love I couldn’t take any more.” Midori spoke of her desire for a supreme kind of love, almost selfish in a sense, to satisfy the generational lack of love and intimacy that her parents had engendered. When reading Midori’s words, I was reminded of times when I felt an insatiable desire for love, seeking external validation and fulfillment from everyone but myself. However, this reminiscence did not lead to sadness, regret or distaste for my past decisions – rather reflection. This pattern followed as I read the rest of the book, as reading about trauma and flawed love from a third person perspective urged me to think about how I could learn and heal from similar experiences.

“Norwegian Wood” propelled Murakami to the forefront of mainstream literature and rightfully so. His book highlighted not only the highs and lows of love and growing up with trauma, but also how someone can entirely reconstruct your perspective on the world. I would definitely recommend this book to someone in a book slump, or even just simply looking for a soothing and serene read. On that note, I’d like to leave you with this quote: “When you fall in love, the natural thing to do is give yourself to it. That’s what I think. It’s just a form of sincerity.”

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Haruki Murakami

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

11 August 2010

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“Glitter and doom.” That phrase appears in the subtitle of one of the books we recommend this week (Guy Trebay’s memoir of 1970s New York, “Do Something”), but it also serves nicely as a catchall theme for the list as a whole, which sparkles darkly: a witty horror novel, an exciting debut story collection probing the scarier side of the human psyche, a novel about a man whose unresolved daddy issues leave him at loose ends. In nonfiction, we recommend a group biography of the women who challenged social strictures in 18th-century England (that one’s more glitter than doom), a serious study of the people who helped prop up Hitler and his genocidal reign (more doom than glitter) and a true-crime history about a high-society jewel thief. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

SOMEONE LIKE US Dinaw Mengestu

Mengestu’s brilliantly slippery and destabilized fourth novel centers on Mamush, a journalist in Paris who is supposed to spend Christmas with his wife and young son in the Virginia suburb where his Ethiopian immigrant mother lives; instead, he ends up in Chicago investigating the criminal record of the man he assumes is his father.

“Mamush might be hapless, but this book is not; it’s meticulously constructed and its genius doesn’t falter even slightly under scrutiny. … Ought to cement Mengestu’s reputation as a major literary force.”

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BEAUTIFUL DAYS: Stories Zach Williams

The stories in this striking debut collection tend toward the grimly surreal, with characters facing spiritual crises, random violence and meaningless work. Two or three of the stories are so good that they announce a genuine young talent, one who deftly palpates the dark areas of human psyches.

“His sentences are smooth, clean and approachable. He pushes you slowly off into the night, then down long embankments.”

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