This (ด้วยรัก ความตาย และหัวใจสลาย) is the Thai title of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I know the book tells you nothing about Norway or wood. Actually, the Thai titles tell you more about this book than the original title. But it makes me wonder a lot why the Thai translator changed the title.The original title, as you may already know, comes from a song by the Beatles. Even though it was almost impossible to listen to the Beatles in China until the 1980s, the Chinese title is Norwegian Wood (挪威森林). So many readers in the People's Republic wondered why this title explained nothing about the content of the book...
Well, Thailand has always been an open country and she accepted tourists even right after the coup in 2006. There were so many American soldiers in Thailand during the war in Vietnam and I guess the Beatles were popular among young people in Bangkok or around the US military bases. But why did the Thai publisher of Murakami's classic work have to change its title? It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable...
And why does the cover of this Thai version of Norwegian Wood feature a picture that seems to be from a Shanghai advertisement of the 1930s? I guess the Thai publisher imitated a cover of a British version of this book, which also featured a Shanghai ad girl from 70 years ago... And I know this Chinese girl is supposed to be Naoko, the symbol of detachment from the world and death.
Actually, I checked the Thai title of Norwegian Wood because I wanted to tell a young Thai singer that she was like Midori in this book. Although it seems that many mature readers love Naoko, I don't like her at all. On the other hand, the wild-cattish Midori is the symbol of life and engagement to the world. She has always been be my most favourite character in this book.
