Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the shore is a quintessential Murakami novel containing many of the loved tropes and oddities unique to his work; precocious teenagers, humans that speak to cats, and unexplainable supernatural events. While the plot will definitely keep you wondering and guessing, it is the characters themselves that make up the heart of the novel. Every character wanders, either to escape their life or rediscover who they once were, and ultimately searches to fulfill a sense of purpose in themselves that they recognize but cannot name. There are two alternating story lines; one about a curious fifteen year old runaway that's plagued by an oedipal prophecy, and the other about an old man with no concept of reality yet a magical understanding of the world. As the book progresses, their lives begin to intertwine through a series of discoveries and conspiracies, and the story unfolds in a dreamlike manner that traverses the conscious and unconscious world.

I had been intimidated by the length of Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami and so I avoided reading it for about a year, but I’m very glad I finally started it. I thought it brought up a great lesson about how paths to self-discovery are circumstantial and dynamic. Since the characters are at different points in their lives, they all undergo individual journeys of development. No character’s journey is perfect and though they may be the only ones capable of making changes in their life, they still receive guidance from the people they encounter. I loved the trope of finding yourself through various interactions and only arriving at realizations with the help of people you love. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was confusing, compelling, vivid, and so beautiful. I recommend this book to anyone who likes magical realism or evocative novels!

Reviewed by Sam, Grade 10

Glendale Central Library