I’m not sure you can call this a book review but I’m gonna put this post in my review category anyway. I’ve just finished reading ‘Kafka on the Shore’. Rather than sharing my opinion, I want to share my experience in reading it. That’s why I doubt that my post can be called a review. I should warn you this blog contains bits of spoilers.
This is my first blog in English. I’m not an English native speaker. I hope my writing can be understood equally to what I meant to convey. I do speak American English rather fluent yet I’m still not sure able to pick the correct words for certain gist. I may pick up a wrong word. So please spare me for any misleading words. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong in the comment section.
‘Kafka on the Shore’ is the third book of Haruki Murakami that I’ve read so far. The previous two are a novel called ‘After Dark’ and collections of short stories book titled ‘Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman’. And so far ‘Kafka on the Shore’ is the best of his work, that I’ve read. I’m still have one more of his work to read on my bookshelf. I’m gonna read that after this whole busy festive Eid is ended.
What I understand is that his books might not be preferable to most people, specially those who enjoy reading a fast phase book with lots of intriguing actions or a kind of novel that less surreal. I admit that in the first two chapters I still didn’t warm up yet to eagerly flipping the pages, but I got to handed to his writing style for keeping me going. I enjoy how he describe the work of his character’s mind, conveying every bits of emotional that experienced by them and eventually leads to the main events of a strange, bizarre, mystical happening that makes the whole story running.
I’m amazed by how he could make the two main characters actions and decisions can affect each other without the two of them having meet in the same setting. These two characters just do their own things at their own time and place with their own supporting characters around them, yet those things they do somehow create this correlation of reasons to make a decision become make sense. And consequently the whole story running quite interesting.
For me, the story gave a kind of feeling like children telling us their unrealistic imagination that’s hard to connect to the real world, but of course in a far much more profound and compelling dictions. This is what excite me to munch on the story to the very last page. Strange characters popping up here and there, such as Colonel Sanders, those talking cats, and two imperial soldiers that supposed to be dead ages ago, yet they became somewhat I called guards of a portal to an after death world or something.
Even the main characters and their supporting characters are also unique. A 15 years old boy who loves reading books and regularly visiting a gym to keep his body stay fit. I imagine this Kafka is rather tall and a bit muscular for his age. Another one is an old aged man who talks to cats and dumb (as the character it self said in the book) but very determined and persistent. In my opinion as dumb as he think he is, he still holds a certain kind of wisdom. He’s the purest of all characters exist in the novel. What interest me the most is the supporting character who expresses himself as a female but also a gay. I won’t describe more about him (or her) but I truly entertain by how intelligent he is. Though this should not come in surprise because of his work as a librarian. Anyway, to make it short all the characters are amazing and well presented.
There’s one more thing that I consider worth to be highlighted. It’s about that portal between two worlds that located in the forest. Somehow it reminds me of a novel, ‘Aroma Karsa’, written by Dee Lestari, one of our Indonesian best writer. I’m not saying that Haruki Murakami is adapting her concept. Far from that. ‘Aroma Karsa’ is a more recent publicized to begin with. Yet I’m not also addressing the other way around. Forest as a portal or gate to another world is a common concept among Asian (maybe westerner too). There are lots of real life stories of people lost in mountain forest and yet their remaining bodies can’t be located. Some says that they are somehow transferred to another world and stayed there. This is the same kind of common sense when we (Asian) talked about spiritual beings. I just love it when a writer diligently put this cultural spiritual stuff as part of the main plot intertwined with the modern world . Their novels become rich and vibrant. It’s truly a treat for me.
Overall, I enjoyed reading ‘Kafka on the Shore’. I like it very much. And I think it’ll be a good reading for you who like to indulge your mind with a calm surreal setting kind of book. Imagine reading this novel on a couch by the window when it’s raining outside and your hot tea is there, ready to be sipped at any time. Well, I hope you’ll find this Murakami’s work is interesting too. Feel free to share some of your opinion about the novel in the comment section below.
Amorfati 
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