Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami

“Chance encounters are what keep us going.”

ON THE BACK COVER: Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home –either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister –and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that he cannot fathom.

As their paths converge, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.

Picture this: I’m minding my business riding the bus in New York listening to Kishi Bashi and bopping my head when I spot a very stern face on the cover of a book staring back at me. The book itself looks worn, the edges softened by the thumbs that passed over it last. The book sits alone in the corner of a two-seater seat and it stares at me and I stare at it. Poor thing, I think, someone must have left it behind. Instinctively I pick it up. I read the back cover and am already intrigued. However by the time I’ve gotten home the book finds its way to my bookshelf not to be touched for months. It is only recently –once I’ve finished with all my finals that is, that I begin to start reading the adventures of Kafka. I seriously did not know what I was getting myself into.

This isn’t your average bildungsroman ladies and gentlemen. No, this is a story in which anything is possible. Stones talk, cats talk, and leeches fall from the sky. Haruki Murakami, author of this brilliant story, captures the tale of Kafka Tamura, a runaway and in my opinion the world’s toughest fifteen year old. The way in which Murakami intertwines the lives of Kafka and Nakata is spectacular. One feels an emotion and the other acts upon it. One’s mind works rapidly, perhaps too much for his own good, while the other’s mind is completely blank –empty, and left for filling. It is very hard not to fall in love with Kafka and Nakata. Kafka is handsome, mature, and resilient. Whatever comes his way he responds in a manner way above that of a fifteen year-old. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t crushing on him hard –even with the creepy oedipal prophecy. I mean who cares if he’s destined to sleep with his mother and kill his father… he’s still dreamy (insert cheeky monkey faced emoji here). And Nakata, well he’s pretty much the grandfather I didn’t know I always wanted. I mean the guy can talk to cats, c’mon how COOL is that? He’s selfless, simple minded, and wears his heart on his sleeve. The kind of guy you just want to give a big hug to because hearts that big need some loving.

Murakami’s style of writing is impressive too. Every so often I would come along a few lines that were so poetically presented that I had to pause, re-read, underline, and place a star in the margins. “I’m the lonely voyager standing on deck, and she’s the sea” boys, take note. That right there is beautiful. Here’s another one, “We’re so caught up in our everyday lives that events of the distant past, like ancient stars that have burned out, are no longer in orbit around our minds.” Like ancient stars that have burned out –seriously how sad is that?? Murakami’s words are refreshing, they are relatable, and they pack a mean punch full of feels.

Kafka On The Shore covers everything from growing up, finding yourself, falling in love, to fulfilling your destiny and purpose. The story shows the good and the bad of humanity, it speaks of the truth of the way things are, and it enforces the idea that we can run but we can never hide from our lives forever.