I don’t even know where to begin with Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. This was a very metaphorical, dream-like, and controversial story with no clear boundaries or ending. Yes, there was a general plot, you could call it Kafka’s journey to liberate himself from a curse, but is was more blurry than clear and took strange twists and turns.
Overall, I am very appreciative of this book because it was a genre very outside of my comfort zone and had an other-worldly, mysterious, winding quality to it. I am trying to read more than just YA fiction and specifically more international authors, so as a Japanese translated work this was perfect. I don’t think I could say that Kafka on the Shore was my cup of tea, but I do find it a memorable read and it makes me want to explore more of Murakami’s work.
Kafka on the Shore follows the main character, Kafka, a 15-year old boy who runs away from home and the ‘curse’ his father put upon him, that he will someday murder his father and sleep with his mother. Even so he is searching for his missing mother and sister, and while wrestling with this he finds shelter and friends away from home. Fate winds his narrative with those of another set of characters, Nakata and Hoshino, whom never actually meet with Kafka in person. Every character in the story intersects somehow with the others and together they all weave a complex and multidimensional tale.
There are several different themes and ideas dancing through Murakami’s novel, and one of those is the battle between fate and free-choice. Kafka explains his awareness of this to his friend Oshima:
“‘All kinds of things are happening to me,’ I begin. ‘Some I chose, some I didn’t. I don’t know how to tell one from the other anymore. What I mean is, it feels like everything’s been decided in advance – that I’m following a path somebody else has already mapped out for me. It doesn’t matter how much I think things over, how much effort I put into it. In fact, the harder I try, the more I lose my sense of who I am.’” (pg. 199)
I did also see what Kafka meant as the story progressed, because it feels like he is walking down a path that he can’t change no matter what, but he can push-through and become a better person because of it. I did find myself kind of upset with Kafka because of some of his stupid decisions but I think the author wanted this because it just supports the point that his actions are partly predestined. As a whole, Kafka was a “tough” 15-year old, but he was still very much a teenager in his selfishness, immaturity, and general lustfulness. He was also very sexually-charged throughout the story and can’t control himself at times, but he does have his calmer and more rational side. My favorite part about him was his love for reading and the library where he takes shelter. As a person who loves books I connected with Kafka over this shared interest. In fact, the first note I made on this book as I read was on page 38-39 where he describes the library:
“As I relax on the sofa and gaze around the room a thought hits me: This is exactly the place I’ve been looking for forever. A little hideaway in some sinkhole somewhere. I’d always thought of it as a secret, imaginary place, and can barely believe that it actually exists. I close me eyes and take a breath, and like a gentle cloud the wonder of it all settles over me.”
Another theme of Murakami’s work is the integration of music. I’ve heard that this love of music is present throughout all of his work as well, and I can definitely see that. Kafka is often listening to his late 90s/early 2000s playlist which included, among other songs, Little Red Corvette (Prince) and Kid A (Radiohead). Side character, Hoshino, also discovers his respect and appreciation for music through his journey with Nakata, where he listens to Beethoven’s pieces. Also, Miss Saeki, a major player in story, is strongly connected to music and had a published song that Kafka listens to, and where the title for the book comes from. So, without a doubt, music is a big influence on the characters and remains a theme throughout the story.
Kafka on the Shore also contains numerous references to the culture of the time, books, and geography. The reader can follow along the characters’ travels since they list specific location markers, and because of Kafka’s love for reading, he mentions several books. Oshima, Kafka’s friend and faithful voice of reason, clarity, and logic, is the one who refers to Greek literature the most. He is a well-educated individual who seems to act like a magnifying glass for understanding most of the complex dynamics of the story.
And, boy oh boy, was this book complex. I think part of the mystification might have been translation difficulties, since this was already a pretty bizarre and surreal story. But for the most part, Murakami wove a narrative made of mystery, metaphor, and fantasy where it’s hard to draw the line between reality and dreams.
One element of this confusion was the greyness of morality within Kafka’s relationships with the other characters, primarily Miss Saeki. I didn’t quite understand what is going on in the first place, but within spoiling anything, I do believe the majority of Kafka’s actions were wrong. This may be a hard novel to read if the reader has a strong sense of morality, but I tried my best to withhold judgment until I finished it. Some aspects were explained and drawn into the light later in the story so that helped. Another question that I don’t think was answered for certain, was that of the identity of “the boy named Crow.” At times it seems like he’s a spirit inhabiting Kafka, and others he is actually a crow bird watching over a scene. I have my guess as to who this “boy” is, but I don’t want to spoil anything for future readers. And lastly, the gap between “our” world and the spirit world was blurry and seemed at the same time to be next to and on top of each other. I think this keeps the reader and characters on their toes because of the quick transitions between the two, but in the end gives the story a dream-like quality.
And for these reasons, I am going to give Kafka on the Shore 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did like the process of reading this book because it definitely put me out of my comfort zone and it was super intense. There were several parts that I do not agree with morally and generally, but I think it was a well-written story and must have taken a talented author to compile. I would recommend to people who love mystery & fantasy mixed together, books with a lot of references, Japanese settings and characters, and who don’t mind graphic descriptions and sex scenes.
Tiffany
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