If I had to choose one word to describe Murakami’s ‘Kafka on the Shore’, it would probably be ‘bizarre’. But a good kind of bizarre. Great even. From talking cats to fishes falling from the sky, this is an emotional and psychological roller-coaster that has it all. And more. A story that few others can match in terms of its imagination and storytelling. Although translated into English (among other languages) from the original version written in Japanese, Kafka on the Shore still follows a fluent flow across the book that is easy to follow while keeping you on your toes across its length.
The Plot. Or, the plots
Kafka on the Shore doesn’t follow the story of a single individual. But is a parallel narrative of two people living out their individual plots, moving on in their individual lives. Lives that are different on so many levels, yet connected in their own ways.
On one hand we have the book’s namesake, Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old boy running away from home and his father, to try and escape an Oedipal curse. And in the process hoping to find his mother and sister. And in doing so, embarks on a truly unique adventure, encountering some personalities that have a significant impact on his own. All becoming a part of a journey that takes him beyond the depths of his wildest imaginations to a new world of discovery and redemption.
On the other side, we have Satoru Nakata, an older man who has lost most of his mental faculties, but has gained an unimaginable ability to speak to cats. The result of a bizarre childhood accident that left him without memory, or the ability to read and write. But left him this strange power to communicate with his feline friends. Now using this power, Nakata has committed himself to rescuing cats. Soon enough, Nakata, perhaps without entirely realizing it, has begun an adventure of his own, without a clue of where he will end up.
The ingredients of Kafka on the Shore – The characters. Or the blend of characters
It’s quite common for any piece of fiction to be loaded with characters of different styles and personalities. Kafka on the Shore just takes this to another level. How often do you come across a story that has almost as many cats as key to its plot as its human beings? Given the fact that this is a Haruki Murakami classic, the presence of cats should not surprise anyone familiar with his work. But making these cats a part, and a crucial part of the story and the character arc of some individuals is another fascinating aspect of this book.
We of course have Kafka and Nakata as the two lead characters like I mentioned before, each at the core of their individual stories that run as alternating chapters through the book. Then we have the supporting yet highly influential roles of Oshima, Miss Saeki, Sakura, and Hoshino. And to add a new flavour of drama (or whimsy, depending on what view you take) to the story are Johnnie Walker (yes, just like the brand of whiskey) – who kills cats to make a flute from their souls, and Colonel Sanders (like the founder of KFC) – who has his own role to play. And let’s not forget the cats.
To sum up. A teenager on the run and lost. An old man who can’t read or write, but can talk to cats. Two globally renowned brands. All floating between the two parallel dimensions. What more can we ask for?
The themes of Kafka on the Shore
The story of Kafka isn’t stitched around one central theme as such. But Murakami uses a mix of different elements to stitch his story together. While I wouldn’t call any of them a central theme to the book, it does use the medium of music, philosophy, symbolism, mythology, self-realisation to bring it all together. Mixed in with a distinctly Murakami feature of abstracts like Johnnie Walker, Colonel Sanders, and of course, cats. No surprise I’m sure if you’ve read any other of his works.
A bridge between reality and dreams
Kafka’s journey isn’t a simple one. It never starts off as one. But it isn’t just another complex or difficult journey either. His journey is together magical, sad, self-revealing, and even self-fulfilling. But above all, it is a journey that alternates between the realms of his reality and dreams. And a lot of grey area in between. With the teenager quite unable to distinguish between these worlds.
Nakata on the other hand, having been abandoned by his family has almost succumbed to his fate of saving cats. Even his adventures that promise to take him to unknown lands cannot seem to shake his sense of resolute content and calm.
One on an unusual and eye-opening quest for himself. The other in complete acceptance of who he is. Even if he doesn’t realize his acceptance. The two personalities in focus of Murakami’s story almost present a dualism akin the Yin and Yang of Chinese philosophy. Opposite yet complimentary forces within a being. Not unlike the constant switches between dreams and realities, to the point that it becomes difficult to be sure which is which.
Undeniably Murakami
Among other aspects of Murakami’s writing, like the elements of music, cats, and abstracts, there’s another element of Kafka on the shore that makes it a distinctly Murakami piece. Its prose. A story that is easy to follow, but can be at times a challenge to understand. Even if you look at its abstracts in a very literal sense as nothing more than just a part of the story, the story’s imaginative landscapes and events make this an intriguing read to say the least. All pointing towards a piece of work that is undeniably Murakami.
The last word
Kafka on the shore was my introduction to the world of Haruki Murakami, courtesy a birthday gift from a close friend. And an introduction I will always be grateful for. As this would go on to become the first of many Murakami works I would read. But let’s leave that for another time.
In a nutshell, this is a book where you need not depend on logic to fathom Kafka’s story. Because you cannot. It is a story that builds from mythology, adds a layer of its own philosophy and draws the strangest parallels through its pages. Pages of a book that I would definitely recommend. It is after all the book that introduced me to Murakami. And the book that almost compelled me into following more of Murakami’s works over the years.
If you haven’t added Kafka on the shore to your list of books to be read, it’s perhaps time you did. I might as well say that about Murakami himself. Philosophical, creepy, beautiful, and filled with complex riddles that have no answers, this is in fact a book doesn’t just deserve a read, but deserves a re-read, and may be another read after that. As Murakami himself suggests in an interview dedicated to answering questions about the book, the key to understanding Kafka on the shore is to read it multiple times. And there’s no time like to today to get your hands on a copy and get started on it today.
