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mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Weird, wacky, at times horrific, but nonetheless a thought-provoking read grappling with issues of time, memory, loss, regret, and purpose. Murakami’s knack for dragging the reader between questioning their sanity on one page and pondering deep philosophical questions on the next is as intoxicating as it is mind-bending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Incest, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Det händer mycket, hela tiden. Vissa ”magiska” inslag, men boken äger upp det. Den är vackert skriven och får en att stanna upp och tänka till. Önskar att jag kunde läsa den för första gången igen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first Murakami read!! This story is about a teenage runaway called Kafka who ends up following his unfortunate fate put on him by his father. (Oedipus type thing). Such an interesting storyline with interesting characters. I liked how their, (Nakato and Kafka) fates intertwined. It felt like each wanted what the other had.
Kafka wanting freedom/ to live in ignorant bliss; Nakato wanting the ability to read and become independent. I liked towards the end where Nakato meets Kafka's mother and then they both die. I disagree with everyone's opinion of the actual ending. I think it was perfect ending with Kafka going back home to re-enroll to school. The 15 yr old states in the end how he still didn't know much, but you can tell he gained a lot of knowledge about the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest
Minor: Rape, Abandonment
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Enjoyed this for the most part
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest, Rape, Dementia, Abandonment, Classism
Moderate: Transphobia
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Minor: Rape, War
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perhaps the worst aspect of this book is the casual inclusion of incest, paedophila and rape, which occur without consequences or any moral questions. The female characters are little more than vessels to sexually gratify the men in the story.
I read to the end hoping the many nonsensical aspects would be explained and was left disappointed. Fish/leeches falling from the sky? Johnny Walker? Colonel Sanders? WWII soldiers? Why did the children collapse? Why was Nakata affected differently?
After sitting through endless mundane pages of people drinking coffee, eating food and wandering aimlessly, I feel like I wasted my time on this book.
The author suggests reading the book several times to extract the meaning of it all but I certainly won't be doing that.
I read to the end hoping the many nonsensical aspects would be explained and was left disappointed. Fish/leeches falling from the sky? Johnny Walker? Colonel Sanders? WWII soldiers? Why did the children collapse? Why was Nakata affected differently?
After sitting through endless mundane pages of people drinking coffee, eating food and wandering aimlessly, I feel like I wasted my time on this book.
The author suggests reading the book several times to extract the meaning of it all but I certainly won't be doing that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Incest, Rape
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Incest, Rape
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kafka on the Shore is a surreal, dreamlike journey that blends magic, philosophy, and pop culture in a way that feels strangely natural. I loved the eccentric characters, the mysterious world-building, and how the story effortlessly connects the fantastical with traditional Japanese elements. It’s weird in the best possible way — haunting, beautiful, and thought-provoking. Definitely a book that lingers in your mind long after the final page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Incest, Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Abandonment