Hey, what is it with you? Why are you so spaced out? You still haven't answered me."I probably still haven't completely adapted to the world," I said after giving it some thought. "I don't know, I feel like this isn't the real world. The people, the scene: they just don't seem real to me."Midori rested an elbow on the bar and looked at me. "There was something like that in a Jim Morrison song, I'm pretty sure."People are strange when you're a stranger.
In this excerpt from "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami, the protagonist expresses feelings of disconnection and alienation from the world around him. He admits to still not fully adapting, perceiving the people and environments as unreal, which suggests a deep sense of isolation. This sentiment is amplified by his conversation with Midori, who notes a similarity to a line from a Jim Morrison song, highlighting the theme of strangeness in human experiences.
The discussion illustrates the protagonist's struggle to engage with reality, as he feels like an outsider observing life rather than participating in it. Midori’s reference to the song reinforces the idea that such feelings of detachment are not uncommon, and they resonate with broader artistic expressions. This moment encapsulates the essence of feeling out of sync with the world, a recurring theme in Murakami's work.