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A review by richardrbecker
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The world is a metaphor. You might be disappointed if you’re looking for any other answer inside Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. The beautifully written story of a 15-year-old runaway (Kafka) and an aging, disabled man (Nakata) touches on complex subjects like metaphysics, dreams, fate, and the subconscious by following two separate but interrelated plots.
The odd-numbered chapters belong to Kafka, who is on a quest to find his mother and sister and escape an Oedipal curse. The even-numbered chapters belong to Nakata, who is on a quest of his own but driven by an unknown force. Both of them head toward Takamatsu but do not connect with each other beyond sharing riddles that Murakami says may provide a different solution to each reader (because there are no solutions).
The net result is an adventure most readers enjoy, but they must also work for a payoff if they want to find one. Suffice it to say that the journey may be the destination, which is why I consider the book a favorite but decided against giving it five stars. I enjoyed it, but some are too elusive to formulate any retained meaning. Obscurity is an art form.
The odd-numbered chapters belong to Kafka, who is on a quest to find his mother and sister and escape an Oedipal curse. The even-numbered chapters belong to Nakata, who is on a quest of his own but driven by an unknown force. Both of them head toward Takamatsu but do not connect with each other beyond sharing riddles that Murakami says may provide a different solution to each reader (because there are no solutions).
The net result is an adventure most readers enjoy, but they must also work for a payoff if they want to find one. Suffice it to say that the journey may be the destination, which is why I consider the book a favorite but decided against giving it five stars. I enjoyed it, but some are too elusive to formulate any retained meaning. Obscurity is an art form.