Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Ok... so it is done. I have finished reading the book. And how do I feel? I am drifting. I think I am still lodged in the 'half-reality-half-magic' world that Murakami created. There is no clear ending. There is no boundary wall around this book, separating it from the rest of the world, for me to climb and jump back to my old reality. A tiny part of me will stay here, on this side.

Mr Nakata and Kafka Tamura

Meet the two central characters - Satoru Nakata and Kafka Tamura. We go on parallel journeys with both of them. On the way, we meet other intriguing characters while both Nakata and Kafka disclose their thoughts and intentions to us. They offload a lot of information and baggage and yet, the destination is never clear.

Personally, I liked the character of Kafka more. He is fifteen, awkward and scarred. He is running away from life while it mercilessly chases him down. Like many interesting characters in literature he comes from a broken family. Even in a surrealist story like this one, we cannot escape the potent power of a dysfunctional family.

Nakata on the other hand is peacefully floating on the river of life, on a raft made of simple thoughts and an almost incessant supply of goodwill from strangers. His mind is different. He may falter in the most simple ways of the world, but he could talk to your cat. Further down the story he displays other metaphysical powers.

They are both on their journeys, covering space and time. And for the longest time the exact purpose of their journeys is not clear. However, we have an inkling that their paths will cross eventually. And they do.

Oshima, Miss Saeki and Hoshino

These three are the main supporting characters in the story. Oshima is one of my favorite characters. He is calm, well-read and intelligent. His complex sexual identity paints his character and its thoughts in a myriad hues. He is the kind of person whose silence speaks. He becomes the primary support system of Kafka as he progresses in his journey.

For me, Miss Saeki is the character that acts like a bridge between the real world and the alternate dimension. She exists in both worlds in different forms. The primary emotion that she evokes is sorrow. And I feel that her character is described more through the words of others than her own actions. I feel neutral about this character.

Hoshino is to Nakata, what Oshima is to Kafka. He acts like a facilitator and medium for Nakata to finish his journey. This character is more stereotypical - a trucker who wears colorful clothes and unfairly treats one sweet woman after another that enters his life. He does not seem to have a purpose until he becomes the essential cog in Nakata's fateful journey. I never really enjoyed this character. He is there because somebody had to be.

Other Characters

There are several other supporting characters like Johnnie Walker, Colonel Sanders, Sakura and cats named Mimi and Kawamura. They are all interesting and make sense in the setup in which they exist. Yes, even the talking cats make sense! They nudge and push the story along on its dreamy, magical, bloody trail.

Special Mention of Crow

Crow is Kafka's alter ego who visits him from time to time, mostly during his moments of weakness and self-doubt. However, later in the book there is a sole chapter dedicated to Crow in which he seems to take on physical form in the alternate dimension in order to help Kafka and/or Nakata. This chapter is quite oddly placed and adds to the overall vagueness. However, it did not detract me from the story.

Controversial Aspects

The story alludes to socially unacceptable sexual behavior amongst family members. This aspect surprised me a bit. I don't know why but I expected Japanese literature to be more 'conservative'. The fact that it turned out otherwise is totally acceptable. For me personally, literature has almost no bounds. I would give the writer all the leeway in the world and would not impose my own preferences or thoughts by way of expectations. I am a neutral observer. However, this may be a bit too much for some readers.

The strength of this story is the seamless intermingling of the real world with the alternate dimension. Time is immaterial in this second world and a door between the two worlds opens from time to time. During this window people can travel between the two worlds. It is fantastical, but looks plausible.

I wonder if the translation from Japanese to English takes anything away from the beauty of the writing. Or, perhaps even more interestingly (and a tad controversially?), could it be that the English version is more beautiful? I have always had such thoughts about translations.

Did I like this novel? I more than liked it. This book was like a stream made of alternate reality. And I sat on the banks, with my feet dipped in, relishing every single page that flowed past me, brushing against my legs.

I would recommend it for anyone who likes artistic writing with a heavy dose of magical realism and a tolerance for subjects that may be seen as unsavory or controversial.

My rating - 4/5

Have you read it? What did you think? Tell me in the comments.

:)