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A review by bazigigi
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I feel very conflicted about this book so I'll post my review below but I definitely understand why some people love and some find it too disturbing
Let me start with the bad and get that over with. Miyazaki always seems to struggle writing complex and well thought out female characters and simply cannot seem to write any female character (regardless of age) without explicit commentary at the very least. I know fans are inclined to chalk it up to the flawed and often young male main characters' viewpoint but it happens with such consistency across all his novels that it doesn't feel like an unreliable narrator it feels like an unreliable author.
Moreover alot of the explicit violence and sexual content adds nothing to the story and is included to create shock value. This gives the impression that because the author feels he is writing a deep commentary on deep topics it must contain shocking content (however relevant) to earn it's grittiness. This lack of sincerity leaves this unnecessary violence pretentious and cheap. Although it is of course still very stomach turning.
All that said, the actual subject matter of the book and the journey of the characters is extremely interesting. It is easy to get into the POVs of multiple characters and understand their thoughts and motivations and the ambiguity of what exactly is happening or what things mean is very well done. It is engaging precisely because it doesn't spell out for the reader what everything means instead allowing you to draw your own conclusions. In a way it is like watching a painting develop the purpose of each addition seems unclear until you reach the end and the reader is presented the finished piece to make of what they will. Ultimately this makes it a really compelling book to re-read, analyze and discuss with other because theories and takeaways can vary. To me this book was in large part a commentary about the nature of time and trauma. But I won't say much more so everyone can find their own meaning the way I got to!
As long as you go in with your eyes wide open about the story's relation to the Oedipus Myth, the graphic violence and sexual content and Miyazaki's style of writing women and girls (and you think you can stomach those things) I recommend this book, it is compelling and you will want to read it again (perhaps skipping certain parts). I'm taking away points for the pointless disturbing/violent content, typically bad sex scenes and the poorly fleshed out over-sexualized female characters but it was otherwise a thought provoking good book if you don't mind some pretentious prose 3.5 stars.
Let me start with the bad and get that over with. Miyazaki always seems to struggle writing complex and well thought out female characters and simply cannot seem to write any female character (regardless of age) without explicit commentary at the very least. I know fans are inclined to chalk it up to the flawed and often young male main characters' viewpoint but it happens with such consistency across all his novels that it doesn't feel like an unreliable narrator it feels like an unreliable author.
Moreover alot of the explicit violence and sexual content adds nothing to the story and is included to create shock value. This gives the impression that because the author feels he is writing a deep commentary on deep topics it must contain shocking content (however relevant) to earn it's grittiness. This lack of sincerity leaves this unnecessary violence pretentious and cheap. Although it is of course still very stomach turning.
All that said, the actual subject matter of the book and the journey of the characters is extremely interesting. It is easy to get into the POVs of multiple characters and understand their thoughts and motivations and the ambiguity of what exactly is happening or what things mean is very well done. It is engaging precisely because it doesn't spell out for the reader what everything means instead allowing you to draw your own conclusions. In a way it is like watching a painting develop the purpose of each addition seems unclear until you reach the end and the reader is presented the finished piece to make of what they will. Ultimately this makes it a really compelling book to re-read, analyze and discuss with other because theories and takeaways can vary. To me this book was in large part a commentary about the nature of time and trauma. But I won't say much more so everyone can find their own meaning the way I got to!
As long as you go in with your eyes wide open about the story's relation to the Oedipus Myth, the graphic violence and sexual content and Miyazaki's style of writing women and girls (and you think you can stomach those things) I recommend this book, it is compelling and you will want to read it again (perhaps skipping certain parts). I'm taking away points for the pointless disturbing/violent content, typically bad sex scenes and the poorly fleshed out over-sexualized female characters but it was otherwise a thought provoking good book if you don't mind some pretentious prose 3.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and Sexual violence