"'Kafka on the Shore' Book Review" by Alyssa N.

     From prophecies of marrying your own mother to talking cats, Kafka on the Shore written by Haruki Murakami is one of the most surreal books I’ve ever read. Murakami is a renowned Japanese artist known for his realistic, almost dark, interpretations of another world which takes you on a psychological trip. Like many other novels written by the author, Kafka on the Shore is a dream-like story filled with jazz, cats and city-life that takes you to a world you could only imagine.
     Notably unique to Murakami’s style is his way of combining two totally different stories by alternating the plot every other chapter in a natural, gradual way. Starting off the odd numbered chapters as an X file case during WWII in Japan Murakami begins the story of Nakata. When he was in 4th grade, his class went to look for mushrooms within a forest, and mysteriously all of the students were discovered unconscious after an unknown aircraft had flown by. All of the students shortly woke up from this unexplainable even except one, Nakata, who landed into a coma and woke up “not so bright” and with an ability to talk to cats. Because of his impairments, Nakata didn’t have an everyday 9-5 job, instead he searched for missing house cats for a living. While on the hunt for a particular cat names Goma, Nakata winds up at the home of a mysterious man who has been taking these cats and killing them for their souls, who goes by the name of Johnny Walker, who we later find out is Kafka’s father. Nakata later finds himself in a dilemma of life or death, which takes him to a journey that leads him to another character known as Kafka. Within the even numbered chapters, Murakami simultaneously tells a parallel story of a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who ran away from his cynical father in search of his lost mother and sister. At a bus stop on his way to Shikoku he then finds himself befriending Sakura, who he is not only attracted to but believes is his older sister.

Kafka then winds up at a small library where he meets Miss Saeki and Oshima, who make an agreement for him to work there in exchange for him to live there. Kafka find himself in strange situations like waking up covered in blood, falling in love with Miss Saeki who he begins to believe is his mother. These two totally bizarre stories later intertwine themselves into a different world, bringing Nakata and Kafka’s father together.
     The main issue of the novel is something we all question: fate. Kafka is told from a young age by his father that he is going to fulfill a prophecy of murdering his dad and having sex with his mother and sister who disappeared while he was still a child. If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, you’d probably realize this was an illusion to the story of Oedipus, a ruler who kills his father and marries his mother. Kafka gets so caught up with this prophecy, often referencing it, he lets it almost take over his thoughts regarding fulfilling it. Sakura for example was a total stranger to Kafka, however because of this “chance meeting” he feels they have a special connection, which later leads him into a string of strange encounters where he allows fate to take the wheel and fill out his prophecy. Murakami makes you question the concept of fate through the eyes of Kafka as he encounters these strange events.
     Moreover, Murakami has such a distinct style with his work it’s hard not to love; he is known for his vivid imagery which forces you think about the world outside your day to day life. For instance, “ Time weighs down on you like an old, ambiguous dream. You keep on moving, trying to sleep through it. But even if you go to the ends of the earth, you won't be able to escape it. Still, you have to go there- to the edge of the world” (Murakami). Filled with captivating metaphors like this Murakami fills the characters with thoughts we typically encounter late at night when questioning the existence and meaning of life.
     Unlike most novels where there’s a clear problem and solution to the plot, Kafka on the shore finishes with many loose ends to make the reader really ponder reality. By encapsulating you with a story you would only imagine in to be a dream, Murakami does a phenomenal job of combining modern day Japan and fiction. Kafka on the Shore is not an everyday action-packed, or classic novel, however if you are on the look for a book to expand your horizons and take your imagination to another level, this book is perfect for you. From what was just a mere suggestion,

     Kafka on the Shore found its way to become one my favorite reads, and hopefully one of yours too!