Murakami's Kafka On The Shore

Kafka on the Shore is another masterpiece from Haruki Murakami. As compared to his other works, it is quite a lengthy one. Five hundred pages worth of Murakami’s world. The book clearly defines what the popular Japanese writer is capable of. I would recommend every Murakami fan to give this book a try. It is a difficult one though, and anyone new to Murakami would likely drop it soon enough. I, myself, was able to barge through it as I was confident of what could be waiting on the later pages.

Many may suggest this book to newbies to read as their first Murakami. But I would put it down to second on the list. Honestly speaking, I got bored after the first few hundred pages. As I have mentioned, this is a long book. So, it takes time to get into it. Once all the plots are in motion, it turns out to be an amazing ride.

The presence of magical realism is high from the very beginning. Unlike some of his other works where there is only a hint of the supernatural, Kafka on the Shore is more on the earthly side. The plot flows through fantasy and reality simultaneously, and sometimes, it all went straight over my head. But what I always like the best in Murakami’s works is the character build-up. The way he describes what goes on with each character is outright magnificent. Never cuts straight to the point, but manages to deliver the feelings to the readers.

Murakami takes a very interesting approach to his story-telling in this book. The odd chapters are related to Kafka Tamura, a 15-year-old runaway boy; and the even chapters tell the story of Nakata, an old man in his sixties who can speak with cats. Both their actions affect the other in more of a metaphysical way. As the chapters turn, their stories converge and start to unfold what lies between life and death, the rift between reality and dreams.

As seen in his other works, Murakami’s passion for music is evident here, too. Beethoven’s ‘Archduke Trio’ is worth a mention. My YouTube playlist changed quite a bit with every chapter of this book. There are also many quotes I love in this book. I have even noted down some of them. My favourite is: “Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.”

The plot of Kafka on the Shore is somewhat complex. It often gets difficult to understand what the writer is trying to convey with his words. Murakami himself suggested reading it multiple times to really grasp the riddles and interpret the solutions. On a website, he himself answered about 1,200 questions, out of 8,000 or so, received from fans regarding explanations. I would not recommend any less seasoned reader to read this novel. And, after reading it, you may go through the internet to make more sense of some of the parts. There are some wonderful fan-made illustrations of the novel. It will make you fall in love with Kafka on the Shore.

Kafka on the Shore is undoubtedly one of Murakami’s best works. There are characters in this novel that are going to stay in your memory for a long time. The world he created and the emotions he describes are definitely unique. It is definitely worth a read, and a reread. Along with ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘South of the border, west of the sun’, this is my favourite Murakami. So, don’t miss out!

Photos: Internet.

 

 

Murakamis Kafka On The Shore

Kafka on the Shore is another masterpiece from Haruki Murakami. As compared to his other works, it is quite a lengthy one. Five hundred pages worth of Murakamis world. The book clearly defines what the popular Japanese writer is capable of. I would recommend every Murakami fan to give this book a try. It is a difficult one though, and anyone new to Murakami would likely drop it soon enough. I, myself, was able to barge through it as I was confident of what could be waiting on the later pages. Many may suggest this book to newbies to read as their first Murakami. But I would put it down to second on the list. Honestly speaking, I got bored after the first few hundred pages. As I have mentioned, this is a long book. So, it takes time to get into it. Once all the plots are in motion, it turns out to be an amazing ride. The presence of magical realism is high from the very beginning. Unlike some of his other works where there is only a hint of the supernatural, Kafka on the Shore is more on the earthly side. The plot flows through fantasy and reality simultaneously, and sometimes, it all went straight over my head. But what I always like the best in Murakamis works is the character build-up. The way he describes what goes on with each character is outright magnificent. Never cuts straight to the point, but manages to deliver the feelings to the readers. Murakami takes a very interesting approach to his story-telling in this book. The odd chapters are related to Kafka Tamura, a 15-year-old runaway boy; and the even chapters tell the story of Nakata, an old man in his sixties who can speak with cats. Both their actions affect the other in more of a metaphysical way. As the chapters turn, their stories converge and start to unfold what lies between life and death, the rift between reality and dreams. As seen in his other works, Murakamis passion for music is evident here, too. Beethovens Archduke Trio is worth a mention. My YouTube playlist changed quite a bit with every chapter of this book. There are also many quotes I love in this book. I have even noted down some of them. My favourite is: Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart. The plot of Kafka on the Shore is somewhat complex. It often gets difficult to understand what the writer is trying to convey with his words. Murakami himself suggested reading it multiple times to really grasp the riddles and interpret the solutions. On a website, he himself answered about 1,200 questions, out of 8,000 or so, received from fans regarding explanations. I would not recommend any less seasoned reader to read this novel. And, after reading it, you may go through the internet to make more sense of some of the parts. There are some wonderful fan-made illustrations of the novel. It will make you fall in love with Kafka on the Shore. Kafka on the Shore is undoubtedly one of Murakamis best works. There are characters in this novel that are going to stay in your memory for a long time. The world he created and the emotions he describes are definitely unique. It is definitely worth a read, and a reread. Along with Norwegian Wood and South of the border, west of the sun, this is my favourite Murakami. So, dont miss out! Photos: Internet.