murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

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even noticed that my hairstyle had changed, did you? I've been working on it forever, trying to grow it out, and finally, at the end of last week, I managed to get it into a style you could actually call girlish, but you never even noticed. It was looking pretty good, so I thought I'd give you a little shock when you saw me for the first time after so long, but it didn't even register with you. Don't you think that's awful? I bet you can't even remember what I was wearing today. Hey, I'm a girl! So what if you've got something on your mind? You can spare me one decent look! All you had to say was "Cute hair", and I would have been able to forgive you for being sunk in a million thoughts, but no! Which is why I'm going to tell you a lie. It's not true that I have to meet my sister at the Ginza. I was planning to spend the night at your place. I even brought my pyjamas with me. It's true. I've got my pyjamas and a toothbrush in my bag. I'm such an idiot! I mean, you never even invited me over to see your new place. Oh well, what the hell, you obviously want to be alone, so I'll leave you alone. Go ahead and think away to your heart's content! But don't get me wrong. I'm not totally mad at you. I'm just sad. You were so nice to me when I was having my problems, but now that you're having yours, it seems there's not a thing I can do for you. You're all locked up in that little world of yours, and when I try knocking on the door, you just sort of look up for a second and go right back inside. So now I see you coming back with our drinks - walking and thinking. I was hoping you'd trip, but you didn't. Now you're sitting next to me drinking your Coke. I was holding out one last hope that you'd notice and say "Hey, your hair's changed!" but no. If you had, I would have torn up this letter and said: "Let's go to your place. I'll make you a nice dinner. And afterwards we can go to bed and cuddle." But you're about as sensitive as a steel plate. Goodbye. PS. Please don't talk to me next time we meet. 302
I rang Midori's flat from the station when I got off the train in Kichijoji, but there was no answer. With nothing better to do, I ambled around the neighbourhood looking for some part-time work I could take after lectures began. I would be free all day Saturday and Sunday and could work after five o'clock on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; but finding a job that fitted my particular schedule was no easy matter. I gave up and went home. When I went out to buy groceries for dinner, I tried Midori's place again. Her sister told me that Midori hadn't come home yet and that she had no idea when she'd be back. I thanked her and hung up. After eating, I tried to write to Midori, but I gave up after several false starts and wrote to Naoko instead. Spring was here, I said, and the new university year was starting. I told her I missed her, that I had been hoping, one way or another, to be able to meet her and talk. In any case, I wrote, I've decided to make myself strong. As far as I can tell, that's all I can do. There's one other thing. Maybe it's just to do with me, and you may not care about this one way or another, but I'm not sleeping with anybody any more. It's because I don't want to forget the last time you touched me. It meant a lot more to me than you might think. I think about it all of the time. I put the letter in an envelope, stuck on a stamp, and sat at my desk a long while staring at it. It was a much shorter letter than usual, but I had the feeling that Naoko might understand me better that way. I poured myself an inch-and-a-half of whisky, drank it in two swallows, and went to sleep. The next day I found a job near Kichijoji Station that I could do on 303
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HARUKI MURAKAMI was born in Kyoto i
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First published as Normeei no marl
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The stewardess came to check on me
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a kick to some part of my mind. Wak
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"I just know," she said, increasing
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along the path. "I'm sorry," she sa
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Once upon a time, many years ago -
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national anthem, too, of course. Yo
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for ashtrays held mounds of cigaret
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anything about the others myself, I
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"But that's impossible," he said ma
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Almost a year had gone by since I h
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eally wouldn't be any bother to you
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occupying that central position. Tr
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wiper. Kizuki had left no suicide n
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Naoko called me the following Satur
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somebody in the dorm had taken down
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answers they wanted. And so I went
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hesitation. "Not exactly fashionabl
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he said. "Swallowed 'em whole." "Wh
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and while she was putting on her st
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That winter I found a part-time job
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arrived at Naoko's room the cake wa
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trying to go on, but had come up ag
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I picked up my clothes and dressed.
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at the end I added: Waiting for you
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etter. As you say, this is probably
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Maybe this firefly was on the verge
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During the summer holidays the univ
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dust covered his desk and radio. Hi
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she said. "I had a perm this summer
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omantic company? New women in far-o
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lecture. When it was over I went to
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Watanabe, I have this feeling like,
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problems far more urgent and releva
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ain." "Shouldn't you go home and ge
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expensive school trips. For instanc
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esting on her lap. "That was the pr
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you." "I'd like that," I said. Mido
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the shutter and stepped a few paces
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"Thanks," I said. It suddenly dawne
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I nodded, swallowing a mouthful of
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"You're very clear about what you l
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"I'd go and have a look around at l
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unning away." "Even if this place b
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"It's true. Don't you think I'm ter
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different from other people's. I'm
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call," I said. 'As long as lunch is
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At 11.30 Nagasawa was ready to give
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"So find a vending machine and a ni
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the events had undoubtedly happened
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this time I am very, very calm. Cle
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We eat freshly picked fruits and ve
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to the Ami Hostel. A woman receptio
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still taste my morning coffee. By t
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PRIVATE NO TRESPASSING. A few clues
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merely a nice person but whose nice
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my question. "The first thing you o
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"What should I do, then? Give me an
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I nodded. "I think the three of us
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we can ask a staff member to buy fo
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"I'm sure I'll be fine." "So, that
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With Naoko gone, I went to sleep on
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weightlessness on the secretion of
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"It's lovely, though," said Naoko.
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never plays it unless I request it.
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laughing. "How many girls has he sl
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"I couldn't get wet," she said in a
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Reiko sat alone on the carpet, play
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She picked up the basketball again,
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it in hot water, taking a few days
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I said I liked him and thought he w
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all this talk about me. You came he
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have negative thoughts about her be
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draw people - or draw me, at least
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her, outside work, or sports. She h
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est side, I'd say he succeeded. His
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anana; if we got lonely, we'd go to
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the window. She had drawn her knees
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changes to be reborn in utter perfe
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feed and a garden hose. Naoko screw
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"We'll be back before lunch." The t
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used it to make a whistle. The trai
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adios in our rooms, so if I don't c
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"It feels like ancient history," sa
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"Well, it depends how you look at i
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"She was the kind of person who too
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something inside me had died. I jus
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dining hall. "Is he a doctor or a p
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"Fine," said Reiko. "But if we keep
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most. Then I'd have her play the pi
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to go on with her story. "Well, any
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and saying "There there,' and she's
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There was nothing I could say, and
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ever experienced before, never once
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Of course. I told him everything th
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everything he could to heal me, and
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night before, Naoko was the usual N
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the way, when you went to Tokyo?" "
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her body in my hands. In the darkne
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"You see what?" "Nothing. Just "I s
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I'd make lots of babies for you as
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"Hmm ..." "And I'm just spacing out
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Midori came for me at 9.30 on Sunda
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"I don't know, I've never done it w
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like the subjunctive case and diffe
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somehow to the East India Company?'
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comes we have to treat them to sush
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Watanabe." "Glad to meet you," I sa
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"No, I guess not. It's complicated,
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"I really can't say until the time
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know if I can keep going to univers
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At 1.30 she left the hospital to do
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"After I do my laundry tomorrow mor
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ed and held it by the tip of his pe
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make people get really vicious all
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worry, I'd take care of both you an
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"Will you really take me to a porno
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stolen bases. After noon I went bac
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made myself a cup of tea with a tea
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"I do." "Look, the world is an inhe
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Eventually a waiter came and took o
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"What do you mean "that kind of tal
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"You know, Toru," she said, "I have
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"I can leave," I said. "No," said H
Page 252 and 253: of loving anybody. There's always s
Page 254 and 255: "Do you know somewhere we could pla
Page 256 and 257: "Or is it that you don't like being
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Page 260 and 261: quadrangle. I began by telling Naok
Page 262 and 263: There was no sign of Midori at the
Page 264 and 265: I sipped my whisky and soda, then s
Page 266 and 267: open a pistachio, "the whole time I
Page 268 and 269: "You know," she said, "I have this
Page 270 and 271: "There aren't any trees around here
Page 272 and 273: early." "Wait a minute, I thought y
Page 274 and 275: "Me, too," I said. "Every once in a
Page 276 and 277: situation conducive to sexual excit
Page 278 and 279: eyond the window cast a soft white
Page 280 and 281: so painful for me to write letters.
Page 282 and 283: Thinking back on the year 1969, all
Page 284 and 285: shovelling snow when there was time
Page 286 and 287: over this, and then climbed into he
Page 288 and 289: great couple." "Yeah, right!" I sai
Page 290 and 291: I went to a phone box and dialled h
Page 292 and 293: gardeners in the area and because h
Page 294 and 295: you to one of our sessions if possi
Page 296 and 297: A letter came from Midori on 6 Apri
Page 298 and 299: eginning of October." "Whew! That c
Page 300 and 301: ago. My sister helps out there thre
Page 304 and 305: Saturdays and Sundays: waiting on t
Page 306 and 307: of letters like this, but from Naok
Page 308 and 309: whisky. Itoh said I could spend the
Page 310 and 311: it for you soon. I went to the univ
Page 312 and 313: "I've been really lonely these past
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Page 316 and 317: eak, without a sound, soaking her h
Page 318 and 319: "But really, Watanabe, you don't wa
Page 320 and 321: her bed. I had no doubts about thos
Page 322 and 323: The fourth thing I have to say is t
Page 324 and 325: Reiko wrote to me several times aft
Page 326 and 327: nails being driven into the lid of
Page 328 and 329: The wind tore along the sand beach
Page 330 and 331: However I might phrase it, though,
Page 332 and 333: On the train out to Kichijoji, Reik
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Page 336 and 337: "The jacket and trousers are hers,
Page 338 and 339: her why she was burning stuff like
Page 340 and 341: stroked her hair. "Don't worry,' I
Page 342 and 343: amount of cash. So don't worry. I w
Page 344 and 345: the point. I can't forgive myself.
Page 346 and 347: "So play it terribly." I brought ou
Page 348 and 349: myself inside her. "You're not goin
Page 350 and 351: you: you'll do fine wherever you go
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE Haruki Murakami w
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