Hi, I just finished reading the book and I must say I agree with most of the things you say about the book, except the part about Kafka raping people. Firstly, the scene with Miss Saeki wasn't Kafka raping her but it was Miss Saeki sexually assaulting and manipulating Kafka. During the whole time Miss Saeki never saw Kafka as the person he was, she was using him as a replacement for her lover who had died. If we are comparing moralities I think those of the 52 year old woman who uses a 15 year old boy to fulfill her fantasies are way more questionable. Secondly the scene with Sakura was entirely a dream. He never actually raped her in reality. Dreaming about something or thinking about them is completely different from actually committing the act. And one could argue because of that dream Kafka finally felt like the prophecy was complete and he managed to break out of his shell, so to speak, and become an active character instead of a passive one as you put it. But over all I enjoyed your video and will be watching more of them :)
I was about to comment the same. Putting an adolescent under a microscope of adult morality is yet another problem. Kafka was a kid who was discovering his fate, his body, sex, love, the omens, loneliness and all kinds of different emotions all by himself. The act of sex in the novel isn't used to form the character of Kafka. It simply fulfills the prophecy. Now why did that prophecy exist is a question Murakami never answers in the book and is open for interpretation. I just read the book a week ago and I'm pretty sure I need at least one more read to completely understand it.
agreed @Niloufar Zanganeh... Even after 6 years, someone agreed with this view. @sabrina you have summarised almost all important parts in the best way. One thing I would add is that Makurami said in an interview that he wrote ideas in a way that every reader gets his/her own interpretation of them. What I realized that after opening the stone, Ms. Saeki got some magical powers, so she was able to turn herself into different versions (just like she was turning herself into a 15-year-old version of herself and going to Kafka room in the middle of the night, most probably "seducing" Kafka"). She also mentioned that she was playing with Kafka's mind while having last meeting with Nakata. There are many other interpretations of events that I am not seeing many people getting like me.
One of his best books... The wait for the English translation nearly killed me! All my Japanese friends read it as soon as it came out... I'm sure you'll enjoy Wind Up Bird... It's my favourite Murakami book..
Hi, thank you so much. This is about the only book I've read 3 times within a year. A year ago I went to Japan and it was beyond expectations--which were high. I was 68 and started to think--where would I want to go in the world while I can still travel?--Japan. (from Israel) so we went, and it was wonderful--the natural beauty, the people, the art. Left me very hungry to know more, and I started reading a lot when I got back. Discovered Murakami and read most of his books. I started, too with Wind Up Bird Chronicle...which amazed me. Now I want to reread it, like you. Well done, you have revealed a whole aspect I hadn't thought about consciously. (Although I too was disturbed by the sex scenes. ) Good you warn people to stop watching at that point. And now, having seen this, I"ll watch more of your videos! :-) It's like having a perceptive and sensitive friend to talk to about a very intense aspect of my life: living in the world of books along side of the "real" world.
*SPOILER ALERT* The most emotional moment was when Hoshino lifts up Nakata and lays him in bed at their apartment. I did tear up as I read that because I never knew both my grandfathers...
I thought the book was about people not being themselves. the uncertainty of Sakura and Miss Saiky being related to Kafka; Kafka possibly being Miss Saiky's old time lover; Nakata trading places with Kafka and killing his father; heck even Hoshino played into Nakata and learned to speak cat. Oshima being trans and very relatable showed that you can actually feel comfortable being something else, choosing to live as something that you weren't born. Its as if in some point Kafka just chooses the identities of the other characters, so that is what they become. this all ties into the Japanese idea of spirit traveling, and Kafka's choice to enter the forest and then to leave Miss Saiky shows us he ended up choosing who he becomes as well.
I just finished reading it few hours back. Then I had a short nap and while I was waking up, I had been solving the riddles of the book in my subconscoiuos mind. Murakami advised the readers to read the book again and again to solve the mysteries, but I would prefer to keep the riddles unsolved. I would prefer to interpret in my own way over the times. Finally, thanks for a very good review. (Y)
***** Oh, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I would love to re-read it someday, but probably a couple of years down the line. It truly was magical. His books are becoming harder and harder to rank because I'm loving so many of them in profound and unique ways. It's really refreshing to read a book without clear answers.
Kafka on The Shore was my second Murakami, and I really loved it. But it was so strange! I keept re-reading sentences, pages, and even entire chapters just to try to make sense of it all. In a different book that would have annoyed me, but I think everything was so well done in this book that I actually appreciated it in this book. I read it in February and I still think about it all the time. Norwegian Wood, my first Murakami, is still my favorite. Great review!
Maikenkb1 I totally agree! I think one thing that blew me away was how much was going on in the story and how masterfully the layers all worked together and came together at the end. I liked that I kind of had to work for the answer, and that my answer to it all could be different from yours and still work. Finally someone else that also loves Norwegian Wood! I feel like that book gets a lot of hate, so it's nice to know someone else loves it too :] I hope you keep reading and loving Murakami
**SPOILERS** Very good discussion! I agreed with many of your points, and you showed a lot of insight on themes I hadn't thought of. I really enjoyed the themes of running away from your fate, and the responsibility of it, as well. To have Kafka face himself in the end and "grow up" really struck home with me. Also, I loved the theme of forgiveness with Miss Saeki, and the idea that you hold the power of being able to forgive and move on from the pain. I really enjoyed the book, especially the scenes with the forest. I felt that was incredibly well done and loved how it mimicked Kafka fighting with his inner self. Thanks for the video, I really loved it! :)
I'm really late to the party... But regarding consent, would you think that Miss Saeki should take some responsibility for her actions? She is 50 and he is 15, and she strongly implies that she is his mother, why does she sleep with him and keeps on leading him on? She could have guided him. Oshima is like the most normal one who is actually doing something about this situation. I've only read it once, but I have a feeling that the fact that Kafka said to Oshima that he has 'blacked-out' before might have something to do with his father's death. I found it weird that in the news they never mention that the victim had dead cats in his fridge.
You're a very smart gal. But do we know that the initial encounter with Miss Saeki was in any sense real? And are we in any sense responsible for what we do in dreams? Can you perhaps talk about what you think/feel re the father? The cat head, soul flute stuff?
I think one of the most important points of Kafka on the Shore is that the whole world, and fate, and society is a lot more forgiving and kind than you expect them to be. Taken as a whole plot, you could see that everyone, a complete stranger, was willing to help. But more importantly, that everyone helped enact the fated prophecy that was bestowed on Kafka which, though seemingly bleak at first, is essentially a road he must take to attain closure.
Great review! This was my first Murakami book and I absolutely loved it. I was going to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, but might swap it with Norwegian Wood after watching your review. Do you have any thoughts about the entrance stone and the WWII scenes in the beginning of the book? The theory I'm chewing through now is that Kafka Tamura and Nakata are the same being, but separated into two different people when the entrance stone was opened. Kafka is the person of the being who is, for the most part, unable to grow because he feels trapped by the "prophecy" he needs to fulfill. He's letting his "prophecy" dictate how his life will be. As a result, most of Kafka's existence is stagnant and his identity comes primarily from his memories. Nakata is the person of the being who only progresses. Unlike Kafka, he has very few memories and lives in the moment. While he might have a "prophecy" to fulfill (opening the entrance stone again), he lets life flow around him and believes that things will happen when it's time for them to.
I like your theory! It has been almost two years now since I read the book, so I don't think my memory serves me well enough to offer up another theory. But I'm always willing to hear what others have to say!
During the course of foraging mushrooms a malevolent spirit tries to worm its way into our world, invading first through the dream of the teacher. As the children approach the nexus point, her menstrual blood and subsequent humiliation and pain inflicted on the boy Nakata create the catalyst to open the nexus, allowing the earth form of the malevolent spirit to invade Nakata's body. All the children were drawn into the nexus because it seems like a nice place, and even the teacher felt the lure of that place but her sense of responsibility was what helped her resist -- despite her resistance to enter the portal, she is still operating under someone else's control although she's not quite sure how. As the boy Nakata convalesces, blood again is spilled while they draw his blood, serving as a catalyst for Nakata's return to consciousness but it's not the same Nakata because he gave up his spirit, although we come to find out it wasn't because he was seduced but rather so he could fight the malevolent spirit as the Boy Named Crow, who is in the spirit world represented by an actual crow. Now it is his shell that wanders the world, searching for cats; all the while the malevolent spirit's larval form hiding inside his body. Because Nakata subconsciously wrestles with this literal inner demon, the malevolent spirit enacts a scheme to find a more suitable host, and that of course is Kafka.
There were definitely some uncomfortable parts but the whole thing felt very magical and was very funny at parts. I think Kafka is a likable, but deeply flawed character. all his ramblings about being strong and his workout routine seemed very off to me. But then the part about the cabin and the edge of the world show up and the book turns into something really profound. Anyway, great analysis, and get ready for 1Q84 because OH BOY is it heavy.
VaporReads One thing that I wish I had remembered to say is that despite all of the horrible things he does, I definitely still felt attachment to Kafka. I wanted him to succeed, escape, and find happiness, most definitely. It is an interesting conundrum to have, both liking and disliking someone so much at the same time. I anticipate 1Q84 being tough, but I'm excited! I won't have my pesky studies getting in the way this time, so I can fully commit. I have the three volume set and oh boy, it is intimidating!
This book has a ton of great quotes that you can actually use in your daily life, and it also makes me reconsider my life like that one guy Hoshino after his experience with Nakata :( And I do care about that toughest fifteen-year-old boy, and his reason for coming back from that reality is still what I'm searching for in my life :(
I haven't read this one of Murakami's books yet, but I did read The wind up bird chronicle, and it's my favorite of his so far. I've only read 4 of his books, and I want to read everything that he has published. I started 1Q84 this month, what a nice concidence. I have a version which includes the whole trilogy, but I don't think I will finish it this month, it's soo big, it's like over 1300 pages. But so far I really like it, and I'm really curious to see how this one will be. I like Murakami very much, but I find I have to be in a certain mood to read a book by him, I don't know how to explain it very well.
I think if people are questioning this book, then they aren't alone, the whole point is to question it, also maybe it's because you need more life experiences, such as myself and that raw emotion hasn't been experienced yet. I loved Kafka on the shore, it's probably one of my favourite books, but there are themes in it that confused me, but I was happy that it confused me, cause it brought about emotions that I needed to explore. But I will say in this book there is a Greek God tragedy theme in this book and this is sort of portrayed through the mother son relationship and how manhood is portrayed. I think Murakami is trying to say that men in society are forced into manhood, particularly in Japan with the age if consent is being so young, the act of Kafka raping women is Murakamis way of explaining why the age of consent is wrong in many countries not just Japan. It's not rape because Kafkas a man and he's of age and it's ok because she's a women and she's of age. I do think trauma is a theme and I'm sorry to say this as there is no excuse for rape, but I do think Kafka is possibly mad or gone through or seen some awful behaviour of his father. He's a young man who has gone through trauma and his father is basically saying, not really saying he's going to sleep with his sister and mother but so Kafka doesn't leave him he is going to become his father and it's possible that his father is the one who raped Kafkas mother and sister and that's why they left. Kafka wanted to see his family so his father says Kafkas going to become like his father and hurt them just by seeing them. It's possible that Kafka not actually raping them but by seeing them he's mentally abusing them, even though it's not Kafkas fault, because his father set in his mind that he's cursed, when the mother and sister see Kafka they are reminded of the abuse and or possible rape, hence why whenever he's with them he thinks he's becoming his fathe and rapes them in his mind but because Murakami is possibly showing the abuse of the father through Kafka. It's a possibility but it's sort of how I interpreted the curse on Kafka or his destiny, when I read the book.
The curse is a real curse, and it's designed to groom Kafka to be the host vessel for Johnnie Walker, whom I've come to call the malevolent adversary. The tangled web in which Kafka begins the book was created back in 1944, and through much trial and error and learning the rules, the malevolent set into action a decades-long scheme that culminates with Kafka. This scheme involves seducing a woman with the image of her husband and making her menstruate a blood sacrifice; invading the body of a 10 year old boy with a larval form; seducing more souls to each play as a pawn in this long con, including Kafka's mother with the image of her own future son combined with the goodness of the 10 year old soul of Nakata (known as the Boy Named Crow) and sending her into near madness by killing her lover; visiting people as visions or voices in their head; etc. etc.
This seems to be eerily similar terrain explored by Lynch in his Twin peaks series and reboot! 🧐😱🥺🤷🏻♂️😲 how they exist on multiple dimensions across continents and globe is truly remarked me but perhaps speaks to the myths of story-telling throughout the ages...
Great discussion. I read this last year and it was my first encounter with Murakami. It remains my favourite, further proving the theory about your first Murakami being your favourite. I was okay with all the ambiguities, in fact I think that's why it was so powerful, but it's definitely one that I want to re-read. I feel that I've overdone it on Murakami recently, but am hoping for a fresh start with 1Q84 in May :)
Library at the Edge of the World I hope you can join me and enjoy 1Q84! It's a long one, so I probably won't put it off until the end of the month like I've been doing so far. Also, thanks! I like the ambiguities too, but I like that they also kind of make sense in their own brand of Murakami-style logic. The only Murakami I didn't really like (After Dark) seemed to not follow the same system, so it was frustrating because I didn't even think I could draw my own conclusions about what was going on because I was just confused. I like books that make me think, but I like it a whole lot more when they make at least a little bit of sense.
Fair enough. After Dark isn't particularly high on my Murakami TBR. Maybe I'll get to it one day :) I'm going to listen to the audiobook of 1Q84 in May, mostly because it's so enormous and I'm going to be travelling. It'll be interesting to compare notes in that respect. All of the Murakami audiobooks that I've listened to so far have been marvellous.
Wonderful review! This was my first Murakami. I read it over a year ago, so the details are a little fuzzy. But from what I remember I agree with everything you have to say about it. Sorry I don't have any new thoughts to contribute! I'm reading Wind-Up Bird Chronicle now and I'm absolutely loving it. The atmosphere and mystery are grabbing me way more than Kafka did, even though I really enjoyed Kafka as well. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read another Murakami novel! I want to try Norwegian Wood soon, just to get a taste of his realistic fiction, but I can't wait to read everything he's ever written.
Bree Russell I'm glad that you're loving Wind-Up Bird Chronicle! It is definitely a weird one. Norwegian Wood is definitely different and definitely not for everyone, but it has really stayed with me in a way that nothing else he has written has. It's okay that you didn't have anything else to add, I'm just glad you liked the video! :]
This was such a fantastic review! I already read Kafka On the Shore last year but it was great to come back to it through this review. Particularly the spoilery section, so much to think about! I forgot how compelling it was. Looking forward to finally reading 1Q84 in May! :D
chboskyy Oh yay, I'm so glad you liked the video! I'm so excited for 1Q84. Seems like we have a lot of people trying to join in this month, so it should be a fun one :]
It was fantastic and bizarre for me. The most character that I liked was Hoshiro and Hoshima, they had great sentenses when I read My first Murakami's novel was Norwegian woods, that was beautiful and solitude together.And in Thailand Murakami was very famous, too. Thank you for your review
Every time I tell someone I love Murakami they ask me about this book, and i have not read it...yet. I want to read it so bad! Your review is just fabulous, definitely making me want to get to it sooner. But I can't remember if I own it. I can't wait to be reunited with my books to find out!!
Hi, good review. Kafka on the Shore is my first Murakami and I absolutely loved it. I'm looking forward to reading Norwegian Wood and Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and will probably go back to Kafka again. A compelling read. Quite disturbing but unforgettable.
Okay, so I just finished this (audiobook) book. This was my second Murakami book ( first was Colorless Tsukuru). I'm already seeing similarities between the two. Passive, lonely ( might I say colorless?) protagonists, erotic dreams, graphic sex, unnecessary elaborations on the dumbest of things. I was rolling my eyes when I was reading the letter the female teacher sent to the psychiatist in Tokyo. Like really? Couldn't you say I needed to clean myself up and Nakatta found my towels? Could have saved so much time. On a separate note --- I think I must have come across a censored audio version because I do not remember a single rape scene. I didn't come across the ending either. Time to read the real paper book. The book was very intriguing,but for some reason, I thought it was set in the 1960's. But oh God-- the weirdness of it all. Its like we start the story from the middle of nothing and we end in the middle of nothing -- again. Overall I had more questions than answers. I enjoyed the double narrative as well, but I was a little annoyed that the two stories did not link. ( I saw someone mention that Kafka had raped the teacher so maybe that's a link?? Idk) Nakatta's story was heart wrenching and he was probably my favorite character. Frankly speaking, the talking cats were tame compared to the other weirdness going on. Btw, I totally saw Oshima's twist coming. Especially when he brought up the ManWoman story. I really liked the idea of 'split shadow/sel" concept, but I don't think I understood it at all. (Can someone please explain this motif?) I'm still finding words to explain how I feel about the book, but I can at least say that Murakami and I see the world in similar ways. When I was reading it seemed as if Murakami's way of describing things was very similar to how I would describe them. ( Don't know if this makes any sense)That being said, I think Murakami is a bit of a perv. Overall I enjoyed how he layered the story on us. I only came to know of Murakami through a philosophy of science fiction textbook. I'm going to read 1Q84 and that'll be it for this author. I came for the sci-fi, but I somehow got a fanfic mixed with philosophy. Loved your review btw! I might just change my mind if I see your reviews about his other books.
Sex in this book is harrowing. Doesnt matter if it's Kafka forcing himself on Sakura or Miss Seiki knowingly having intercourse with a 15 year old. But Murakami doesn't hold the reader's hand in the book. Murakami trusts his reader to know that this is screwed up. Nowhere he mentions that what is happening is beautiful or necessary even. Its just happening. And there is no justification for it.
He actually does kind of imply it’s not a normal or good thing but that in the end, these are just things that while rooted in evil, can be eventually overcome.
Although certain comments you make are absolutely true, I feel like you have overlooked the fact that the belief in fate is really strong in Japanese culture and the fact that they treat sexuality in a less prude manner. Furthermore I think you should look into the similarities of the writer Franz Kafka and the protagonist of the book, as well as the books written by Franz Kafka.
Bolus Unfortunately, there's only so much time to talk about this book. The original footage was over 30 minutes long, so I had to cut a lot of things out. I think that Japan's relationship to sexuality is certainly different than what I am familiar with, but it is also complex. LGBTQ movements are only just gaining momentum in society, and while male/male homosexuality is a part of samurai culture, LGBTQ individuals are not fully accepted in twenty-first century society. You don't see LGBTQ characters very often in modern fiction, and I find the fact that Murakami has included them in several of his works to be very interesting. This is something that I am not an expert on, but I would agree that things like nudity and the exploration of sexuality are less taboo in Japanese culture. But it is extremely complicated and someone could devote their life to researching the relationship between sexuality and twenty-first century Japan, so I did not feel comfortable trying to broach that topic in a video on a different topic, although it does deserve to be mentioned. All this doesn't mean that non-heteronormative individuals are openly accepted and that doesn't make the rape scenes that I discussed any less reprehensible. As for your comment on Kafka, that would make an interesting essay. Unfortunately, I do not know very much about Kafka and this video is much more of a discussion than an in-depth analysis, so I couldn't touch on it, and I wasn't going to read Kafka in order to contextualize it just for the purposes of this video. I'm sorry that I didn't talk about everything that you thought I should, but again, I only have so much time to address what I want to address and I just picked one particular theme that struck me for the sake of time. Maybe you should make your own video on what you think is important, because I've already made mine.
Hi, I just finished reading the book and I must say I agree with most of the things you say about the book, except the part about Kafka raping people. Firstly, the scene with Miss Saeki wasn't Kafka raping her but it was Miss Saeki sexually assaulting and manipulating Kafka. During the whole time Miss Saeki never saw Kafka as the person he was, she was using him as a replacement for her lover who had died. If we are comparing moralities I think those of the 52 year old woman who uses a 15 year old boy to fulfill her fantasies are way more questionable.
Secondly the scene with Sakura was entirely a dream. He never actually raped her in reality. Dreaming about something or thinking about them is completely different from actually committing the act. And one could argue because of that dream Kafka finally felt like the prophecy was complete and he managed to break out of his shell, so to speak, and become an active character instead of a passive one as you put it.
But over all I enjoyed your video and will be watching more of them :)
Don't forget though, in dreams begin responsibilities.
I was about to comment the same. Putting an adolescent under a microscope of adult morality is yet another problem. Kafka was a kid who was discovering his fate, his body, sex, love, the omens, loneliness and all kinds of different emotions all by himself. The act of sex in the novel isn't used to form the character of Kafka. It simply fulfills the prophecy. Now why did that prophecy exist is a question Murakami never answers in the book and is open for interpretation. I just read the book a week ago and I'm pretty sure I need at least one more read to completely understand it.
agree
agreed @Niloufar Zanganeh... Even after 6 years, someone agreed with this view. @sabrina you have summarised almost all important parts in the best way. One thing I would add is that Makurami said in an interview that he wrote ideas in a way that every reader gets his/her own interpretation of them. What I realized that after opening the stone, Ms. Saeki got some magical powers, so she was able to turn herself into different versions (just like she was turning herself into a 15-year-old version of herself and going to Kafka room in the middle of the night, most probably "seducing" Kafka"). She also mentioned that she was playing with Kafka's mind while having last meeting with Nakata.
There are many other interpretations of events that I am not seeing many people getting like me.
One of his best books... The wait for the English translation nearly killed me! All my Japanese friends read it as soon as it came out...
I'm sure you'll enjoy Wind Up Bird... It's my favourite Murakami book..
The scene with Sakura is definitely a dream. It doesn't make Kafka's response any more acceptable though.
Your analysis - especially sharing your emotional response to the scenes you picked to analyze, was super! Really enjoyed watching
Hi, thank you so much.
This is about the only book I've read 3 times within a year. A year ago I went to Japan and it was beyond expectations--which were high. I was 68 and started to think--where would I want to go in the world while I can still travel?--Japan. (from Israel) so we went, and it was wonderful--the natural beauty, the people, the art. Left me very hungry to know more, and I started reading a lot when I got back. Discovered Murakami and read most of his books.
I started, too with Wind Up Bird Chronicle...which amazed me. Now I want to reread it, like you.
Well done, you have revealed a whole aspect I hadn't thought about consciously. (Although I too was disturbed by the sex scenes. ) Good you warn people to stop watching at that point.
And now, having seen this, I"ll watch more of your videos! :-) It's like having a perceptive and sensitive friend to talk to about a very intense aspect of my life: living in the world of books along side of the "real" world.
*SPOILER ALERT*
The most emotional moment was when Hoshino lifts up Nakata and lays him in bed at their apartment. I did tear up as I read that because I never knew both my grandfathers...
I thought the book was about people not being themselves. the uncertainty of Sakura and Miss Saiky being related to Kafka; Kafka possibly being Miss Saiky's old time lover; Nakata trading places with Kafka and killing his father; heck even Hoshino played into Nakata and learned to speak cat. Oshima being trans and very relatable showed that you can actually feel comfortable being something else, choosing to live as something that you weren't born. Its as if in some point Kafka just chooses the identities of the other characters, so that is what they become. this all ties into the Japanese idea of spirit traveling, and Kafka's choice to enter the forest and then to leave Miss Saiky shows us he ended up choosing who he becomes as well.
I just finished reading it few hours back. Then I had a short nap and while I was waking up, I had been solving the riddles of the book in my subconscoiuos mind. Murakami advised the readers to read the book again and again to solve the mysteries, but I would prefer to keep the riddles unsolved. I would prefer to interpret in my own way over the times.
Finally, thanks for a very good review. (Y)
***** Oh, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I would love to re-read it someday, but probably a couple of years down the line. It truly was magical. His books are becoming harder and harder to rank because I'm loving so many of them in profound and unique ways. It's really refreshing to read a book without clear answers.
Kafka on The Shore was my second Murakami, and I really loved it. But it was so strange! I keept re-reading sentences, pages, and even entire chapters just to try to make sense of it all. In a different book that would have annoyed me, but I think everything was so well done in this book that I actually appreciated it in this book. I read it in February and I still think about it all the time. Norwegian Wood, my first Murakami, is still my favorite.
Great review!
Maikenkb1 I totally agree! I think one thing that blew me away was how much was going on in the story and how masterfully the layers all worked together and came together at the end. I liked that I kind of had to work for the answer, and that my answer to it all could be different from yours and still work.
Finally someone else that also loves Norwegian Wood! I feel like that book gets a lot of hate, so it's nice to know someone else loves it too :] I hope you keep reading and loving Murakami
**SPOILERS**
Very good discussion! I agreed with many of your points, and you showed a lot of insight on themes I hadn't thought of. I really enjoyed the themes of running away from your fate, and the responsibility of it, as well. To have Kafka face himself in the end and "grow up" really struck home with me. Also, I loved the theme of forgiveness with Miss Saeki, and the idea that you hold the power of being able to forgive and move on from the pain. I really enjoyed the book, especially the scenes with the forest. I felt that was incredibly well done and loved how it mimicked Kafka fighting with his inner self. Thanks for the video, I really loved it! :)
I'm really late to the party...
But regarding consent, would you think that Miss Saeki should take some responsibility for her actions?
She is 50 and he is 15, and she strongly implies that she is his mother, why does she sleep with him and keeps on leading him on?
She could have guided him. Oshima is like the most normal one who is actually doing something about this situation.
I've only read it once, but I have a feeling that the fact that Kafka said to Oshima that he has 'blacked-out' before might have something to do with his father's death.
I found it weird that in the news they never mention that the victim had dead cats in his fridge.
You're a very smart gal. But do we know that the initial encounter with Miss Saeki was in any sense real? And are we in any sense responsible for what we do in dreams? Can you perhaps talk about what you think/feel re the father? The cat head, soul flute stuff?
I think one of the most important points of Kafka on the Shore is that the whole world, and fate, and society is a lot more forgiving and kind than you expect them to be. Taken as a whole plot, you could see that everyone, a complete stranger, was willing to help. But more importantly, that everyone helped enact the fated prophecy that was bestowed on Kafka which, though seemingly bleak at first, is essentially a road he must take to attain closure.
Great review! This was my first Murakami book and I absolutely loved it. I was going to read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, but might swap it with Norwegian Wood after watching your review.
Do you have any thoughts about the entrance stone and the WWII scenes in the beginning of the book?
The theory I'm chewing through now is that Kafka Tamura and Nakata are the same being, but separated into two different people when the entrance stone was opened.
Kafka is the person of the being who is, for the most part, unable to grow because he feels trapped by the "prophecy" he needs to fulfill. He's letting his "prophecy" dictate how his life will be. As a result, most of Kafka's existence is stagnant and his identity comes primarily from his memories.
Nakata is the person of the being who only progresses. Unlike Kafka, he has very few memories and lives in the moment. While he might have a "prophecy" to fulfill (opening the entrance stone again), he lets life flow around him and believes that things will happen when it's time for them to.
I like your theory! It has been almost two years now since I read the book, so I don't think my memory serves me well enough to offer up another theory. But I'm always willing to hear what others have to say!
During the course of foraging mushrooms a malevolent spirit tries to worm its way into our world, invading first through the dream of the teacher.
As the children approach the nexus point, her menstrual blood and subsequent humiliation and pain inflicted on the boy Nakata create the catalyst to open the nexus, allowing the earth form of the malevolent spirit to invade Nakata's body. All the children were drawn into the nexus because it seems like a nice place, and even the teacher felt the lure of that place but her sense of responsibility was what helped her resist -- despite her resistance to enter the portal, she is still operating under someone else's control although she's not quite sure how.
As the boy Nakata convalesces, blood again is spilled while they draw his blood, serving as a catalyst for Nakata's return to consciousness but it's not the same Nakata because he gave up his spirit, although we come to find out it wasn't because he was seduced but rather so he could fight the malevolent spirit as the Boy Named Crow, who is in the spirit world represented by an actual crow.
Now it is his shell that wanders the world, searching for cats; all the while the malevolent spirit's larval form hiding inside his body. Because Nakata subconsciously wrestles with this literal inner demon, the malevolent spirit enacts a scheme to find a more suitable host, and that of course is Kafka.
There were definitely some uncomfortable parts but the whole thing felt very magical and was very funny at parts. I think Kafka is a likable, but deeply flawed character. all his ramblings about being strong and his workout routine seemed very off to me. But then the part about the cabin and the edge of the world show up and the book turns into something really profound. Anyway, great analysis, and get ready for 1Q84 because OH BOY is it heavy.
VaporReads One thing that I wish I had remembered to say is that despite all of the horrible things he does, I definitely still felt attachment to Kafka. I wanted him to succeed, escape, and find happiness, most definitely. It is an interesting conundrum to have, both liking and disliking someone so much at the same time.
I anticipate 1Q84 being tough, but I'm excited! I won't have my pesky studies getting in the way this time, so I can fully commit. I have the three volume set and oh boy, it is intimidating!
This book has a ton of great quotes that you can actually use in your daily life, and it also makes me reconsider my life like that one guy Hoshino after his experience with Nakata :( And I do care about that toughest fifteen-year-old boy, and his reason for coming back from that reality is still what I'm searching for in my life :(
I haven't read this one of Murakami's books yet, but I did read The wind up bird chronicle, and it's my favorite of his so far. I've only read 4 of his books, and I want to read everything that he has published.
I started 1Q84 this month, what a nice concidence. I have a version which includes the whole trilogy, but I don't think I will finish it this month, it's soo big, it's like over 1300 pages. But so far I really like it, and I'm really curious to see how this one will be.
I like Murakami very much, but I find I have to be in a certain mood to read a book by him, I don't know how to explain it very well.
I think if people are questioning this book, then they aren't alone, the whole point is to question it, also maybe it's because you need more life experiences, such as myself and that raw emotion hasn't been experienced yet. I loved Kafka on the shore, it's probably one of my favourite books, but there are themes in it that confused me, but I was happy that it confused me, cause it brought about emotions that I needed to explore. But I will say in this book there is a Greek God tragedy theme in this book and this is sort of portrayed through the mother son relationship and how manhood is portrayed. I think Murakami is trying to say that men in society are forced into manhood, particularly in Japan with the age if consent is being so young, the act of Kafka raping women is Murakamis way of explaining why the age of consent is wrong in many countries not just Japan. It's not rape because Kafkas a man and he's of age and it's ok because she's a women and she's of age. I do think trauma is a theme and I'm sorry to say this as there is no excuse for rape, but I do think Kafka is possibly mad or gone through or seen some awful behaviour of his father. He's a young man who has gone through trauma and his father is basically saying, not really saying he's going to sleep with his sister and mother but so Kafka doesn't leave him he is going to become his father and it's possible that his father is the one who raped Kafkas mother and sister and that's why they left. Kafka wanted to see his family so his father says Kafkas going to become like his father and hurt them just by seeing them. It's possible that Kafka not actually raping them but by seeing them he's mentally abusing them, even though it's not Kafkas fault, because his father set in his mind that he's cursed, when the mother and sister see Kafka they are reminded of the abuse and or possible rape, hence why whenever he's with them he thinks he's becoming his fathe and rapes them in his mind but because Murakami is possibly showing the abuse of the father through Kafka. It's a possibility but it's sort of how I interpreted the curse on Kafka or his destiny, when I read the book.
The curse is a real curse, and it's designed to groom Kafka to be the host vessel for Johnnie Walker, whom I've come to call the malevolent adversary. The tangled web in which Kafka begins the book was created back in 1944, and through much trial and error and learning the rules, the malevolent set into action a decades-long scheme that culminates with Kafka.
This scheme involves seducing a woman with the image of her husband and making her menstruate a blood sacrifice; invading the body of a 10 year old boy with a larval form; seducing more souls to each play as a pawn in this long con, including Kafka's mother with the image of her own future son combined with the goodness of the 10 year old soul of Nakata (known as the Boy Named Crow) and sending her into near madness by killing her lover; visiting people as visions or voices in their head; etc. etc.
This seems to be eerily similar terrain explored by Lynch in his Twin peaks series and reboot! 🧐😱🥺🤷🏻♂️😲 how they exist on multiple dimensions across continents and globe is truly remarked me but perhaps speaks to the myths of story-telling throughout the ages...
Great discussion. I read this last year and it was my first encounter with Murakami. It remains my favourite, further proving the theory about your first Murakami being your favourite. I was okay with all the ambiguities, in fact I think that's why it was so powerful, but it's definitely one that I want to re-read.
I feel that I've overdone it on Murakami recently, but am hoping for a fresh start with 1Q84 in May :)
Library at the Edge of the World I hope you can join me and enjoy 1Q84! It's a long one, so I probably won't put it off until the end of the month like I've been doing so far.
Also, thanks! I like the ambiguities too, but I like that they also kind of make sense in their own brand of Murakami-style logic. The only Murakami I didn't really like (After Dark) seemed to not follow the same system, so it was frustrating because I didn't even think I could draw my own conclusions about what was going on because I was just confused. I like books that make me think, but I like it a whole lot more when they make at least a little bit of sense.
Fair enough. After Dark isn't particularly high on my Murakami TBR. Maybe I'll get to it one day :)
I'm going to listen to the audiobook of 1Q84 in May, mostly because it's so enormous and I'm going to be travelling. It'll be interesting to compare notes in that respect. All of the Murakami audiobooks that I've listened to so far have been marvellous.
Wonderful review! This was my first Murakami. I read it over a year ago, so the details are a little fuzzy. But from what I remember I agree with everything you have to say about it. Sorry I don't have any new thoughts to contribute!
I'm reading Wind-Up Bird Chronicle now and I'm absolutely loving it. The atmosphere and mystery are grabbing me way more than Kafka did, even though I really enjoyed Kafka as well. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read another Murakami novel! I want to try Norwegian Wood soon, just to get a taste of his realistic fiction, but I can't wait to read everything he's ever written.
Bree Russell I'm glad that you're loving Wind-Up Bird Chronicle! It is definitely a weird one. Norwegian Wood is definitely different and definitely not for everyone, but it has really stayed with me in a way that nothing else he has written has.
It's okay that you didn't have anything else to add, I'm just glad you liked the video! :]
This was such a fantastic review! I already read Kafka On the Shore last year but it was great to come back to it through this review. Particularly the spoilery section, so much to think about! I forgot how compelling it was. Looking forward to finally reading 1Q84 in May! :D
chboskyy Oh yay, I'm so glad you liked the video! I'm so excited for 1Q84. Seems like we have a lot of people trying to join in this month, so it should be a fun one :]
One of my favourites of this authors books
It was fantastic and bizarre for me. The most character that I liked was Hoshiro and Hoshima, they had great sentenses when I read
My first Murakami's novel was Norwegian woods, that was beautiful and solitude together.And in Thailand Murakami was very famous, too.
Thank you for your review
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it :]
Every time I tell someone I love Murakami they ask me about this book, and i have not read it...yet. I want to read it so bad! Your review is just fabulous, definitely making me want to get to it sooner. But I can't remember if I own it. I can't wait to be reunited with my books to find out!!
+time to read! It is a really good one :]
Hi, good review. Kafka on the Shore is my first Murakami and I absolutely loved it. I'm looking forward to reading Norwegian Wood and Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and will probably go back to Kafka again. A compelling read. Quite disturbing but unforgettable.
+Ganesh Krishna So good. One of my favorites of the year, definitely.
all this time I thought the book cover refers to an individual biting his/her nails BWHAHAHAH!!
Okay, so I just finished this (audiobook) book. This was my second Murakami book ( first was Colorless Tsukuru). I'm already seeing similarities between the two. Passive, lonely ( might I say colorless?) protagonists, erotic dreams, graphic sex, unnecessary elaborations on the dumbest of things. I was rolling my eyes when I was reading the letter the female teacher sent to the psychiatist in Tokyo. Like really? Couldn't you say I needed to clean myself up and Nakatta found my towels? Could have saved so much time. On a separate note --- I think I must have come across a censored audio version because I do not remember a single rape scene. I didn't come across the ending either. Time to read the real paper book.
The book was very intriguing,but for some reason, I thought it was set in the 1960's. But oh God-- the weirdness of it all. Its like we start the story from the middle of nothing and we end in the middle of nothing -- again. Overall I had more questions than answers. I enjoyed the double narrative as well, but I was a little annoyed that the two stories did not link. ( I saw someone mention that Kafka had raped the teacher so maybe that's a link?? Idk) Nakatta's story was heart wrenching and he was probably my favorite character. Frankly speaking, the talking cats were tame compared to the other weirdness going on. Btw, I totally saw Oshima's twist coming. Especially when he brought up the ManWoman story. I really liked the idea of 'split shadow/sel" concept, but I don't think I understood it at all. (Can someone please explain this motif?)
I'm still finding words to explain how I feel about the book, but I can at least say that Murakami and I see the world in similar ways. When I was reading it seemed as if Murakami's way of describing things was very similar to how I would describe them. ( Don't know if this makes any sense)That being said, I think Murakami is a bit of a perv. Overall I enjoyed how he layered the story on us.
I only came to know of Murakami through a philosophy of science fiction textbook. I'm going to read 1Q84 and that'll be it for this author. I came for the sci-fi, but I somehow got a fanfic mixed with philosophy.
Loved your review btw! I might just change my mind if I see your reviews about his other books.
Sex in this book is harrowing. Doesnt matter if it's Kafka forcing himself on Sakura or Miss Seiki knowingly having intercourse with a 15 year old. But Murakami doesn't hold the reader's hand in the book. Murakami trusts his reader to know that this is screwed up. Nowhere he mentions that what is happening is beautiful or necessary even. Its just happening. And there is no justification for it.
He actually does kind of imply it’s not a normal or good thing but that in the end, these are just things that while rooted in evil, can be eventually overcome.
Although certain comments you make are absolutely true, I feel like you have overlooked the fact that the belief in fate is really strong in Japanese culture and the fact that they treat sexuality in a less prude manner. Furthermore I think you should look into the similarities of the writer Franz Kafka and the protagonist of the book, as well as the books written by Franz Kafka.
Bolus Unfortunately, there's only so much time to talk about this book. The original footage was over 30 minutes long, so I had to cut a lot of things out.
I think that Japan's relationship to sexuality is certainly different than what I am familiar with, but it is also complex. LGBTQ movements are only just gaining momentum in society, and while male/male homosexuality is a part of samurai culture, LGBTQ individuals are not fully accepted in twenty-first century society. You don't see LGBTQ characters very often in modern fiction, and I find the fact that Murakami has included them in several of his works to be very interesting. This is something that I am not an expert on, but I would agree that things like nudity and the exploration of sexuality are less taboo in Japanese culture. But it is extremely complicated and someone could devote their life to researching the relationship between sexuality and twenty-first century Japan, so I did not feel comfortable trying to broach that topic in a video on a different topic, although it does deserve to be mentioned. All this doesn't mean that non-heteronormative individuals are openly accepted and that doesn't make the rape scenes that I discussed any less reprehensible.
As for your comment on Kafka, that would make an interesting essay. Unfortunately, I do not know very much about Kafka and this video is much more of a discussion than an in-depth analysis, so I couldn't touch on it, and I wasn't going to read Kafka in order to contextualize it just for the purposes of this video. I'm sorry that I didn't talk about everything that you thought I should, but again, I only have so much time to address what I want to address and I just picked one particular theme that struck me for the sake of time. Maybe you should make your own video on what you think is important, because I've already made mine.
It's not really necessary to read any of Kafka's novels, but some searching about his life gave me a lot of closure about this book.
Lovely Review!
Thank you!
After 250 pages it was like a soft porn and bullshit to me. This book is so overrated. I love Sputnik Sweetheart but this book is kinda disappointment
I really didn’t like this book. I personally won’t read another by this author.