Reflection

Autoethnography is a research and writing method endeavouring to interpret and systematically analyse individual experience as a means to understand cultural encounters (Ellis 2004;Holman Jones 2005). To comprehend my experience of Murakami’sNorwegian Wood, a Japanese book translated into English, I underwent autoethnographic investigation of reading a physical copy.

After being ridiculed for not knowing who he was the first time someone mentioned him to me, the name “Murakami” carried a weight which took a long time to shake. However, hearing from friends that they enjoyed his novels gave me an incentive to investigate the buzz. After trying the audiobook of A Wild Sheep Chase, though leaving it unfinished, Murakami did not live up to the hype. So when embarking on this investigation of reading Norwegian Wood, I felt scepticism towards potential enjoyment. 

For methodology, I created a Google doc where I…