From the Back Cover
Here we meet a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who is on the run, and Nakata, and aging simpleton who is drawn to Kafka for reasons that he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, acclaimed author Haruki Murakami enfolds readers into a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder, in what is truly a remarkable journey.
My Thoughts
KAFKA ON THE SHORE is only my second Murakami, but I can’t get enough! I liked this one even more than my first, NORWEGIAN WOOD. For a writer so established and well-respected in the highbrow literary world, I expected Murakami’s work to be dense and difficult, but he is a highly accessible writer who crafts unputdownable stories.
“Most things are forgotten over time. Even the war itself, the life-and-death struggle people went through, is now like something from the distant past. We’re so caught up in our everyday lives that events of the past, like ancient stars that have burned out, are no longer in orbit around our minds. There are just too many things we have to think about every day, too many new things we have to learn. New styles, new information, new technology, new terminology . . . But still, no matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away. They remain with us forever, like a touchstone.”
KAFKA ON THE SHORE reads like a dream. As the reader follows Kafka’s and Nakata’s parallel adventures, it’s nearly impossible to resist being pulled into the narrative. For me, Murakami’s writing is just weird enough to keep me interested, without being too strange to turn me away. (I will say, chapter sixteen nearly turned me away for good; it was a bit too gory for my usual reading taste, making me want to throw up and hold my cat close at the same time, but I persevered and it was worth it.) The novel seemed to slow down around the midway point, and probably could’ve handled a small edit, but the pace did eventually pick back up just in time for me to be left slightly confused by the ending. Murakami ties a few loose ends up but left many untouched; several days after finishing KAFKA, I still found myself thinking about the character’s fates and searching for my understanding of the novel.
Even after reading just two Murakami novels, it’s easy to see the formula he applies to every tale (Exhibit A: Murakami bingo). From talking cats to bland male narrators to weird sex scenes, any devoted reader can pick up one of his novels and know exactly what they are getting into. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for an engrossing read.
It’s been a few years since I read this, but it’s still one of my favourites. Amazing read
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Yes, I loved it! Glad you felt the same way!
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Have you read the Wind up bird… that is equally good.
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I haven’t, just NORWEGIAN WOOD and KAFKA… WIND-UP BIRD is next on my list. I’m really looking forward to it now, thanks!
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It’s a beauty!
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Kafka on the Shore is absolutely my favourite Murakami! I would also recommend 1Q84 and his short stories 🙂
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Thanks Izzy! 1Q84 is quite the beast so I think I’ll move to his short stories first… I’ve heard good things about MEN WITHOUT WOMEN, but is there a collection you’d recommend?
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I’ve been meaning to read Murakami for the longest time, but for some reason I have done it yet. Do you have a recommendation on where to start?
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Well I’ve only read NORWEGIAN WOOD and KAFKA ON THE SHORE, but of the two, I’d recommend KAFKA. I’ve also heard THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE is a good place to start. Good luck! I hope you like Murakami as much as I do! 😀
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Im just halfway through it and im loving it already. reading your reviews makes me wanna go on even more.
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Thanks so much! I hope you continue to enjoy it! ❤
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