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
