An Attempt to write a review: Kafka on the Shore

Kafka on the Shore is a combination of Surrealism, Classical Music, Books, and of course sex. A combination you would easily find in many of Murakami’s work. The song called Kafka on the Shore is the main theme song of this book. Murakami often uses music in many of his writing (Beatles’ Norwegian wood in Norwegian Wood, and Janacek’s Sinfonietta in IQ84). He also mentions several books and author such as Natsume Soseki (Author of Botchan) and western author such as Frans Kafka, and Scott Fitzgerald.

The main stories follow the two main Protagonists, turn 15 years old Kafka Tamura (We never know his real name) and the cat talker Nakata will about to embark a very long and important journey which is going to change their life. Even if they never meet, their destiny intertwined and influenced each other. Kafka Tamura run away from home once he turns to 15 under the dark prophecy of his Father that he will be fall in love with his mother and his sister. The “not very bright” Nakata’s journey after he is forced to kill Kafka’s father who dressed like Johnnie Walker to find and open “the entrance”.

Reading Murakami’s narrative often felt dreamlike, and bewitch at the same time. There is an indescribable power which absorbed me to keep on turning pages even at the end (from experience) I know the author will never provide any satisfying answer. Murakami’s hater often criticized the lack of plot as one of the weakness of Murakami’s fiction, I couldn’t have agreed more. But if you want to read Murakami’s novel, plot is the last thing you would expect.

Kafka on the Shore is no different. Sometimes it left me wondering how this kind of scene could happen and how significant it is to the story. For instance, the scene where leeches and fishes fallen from the sky, there is no explanation though why or how it could happen and how significant it is to the story.

Put that aside, Murakami’s often criticized for his not so Japanese-like content. The uses of western icon, music, and product can easily found inside. Beethoven’s The Archduke Trio is often mentioned and describe in the story just like in IQ84’s Janacek. There are also several characters such as Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders which leaves us wondering why should them why not Lincoln, or Batman.

As we continued to lift up and open each page there are only questions and more questions, no answer.