Reviews with content warning for Rape - Kafka on the Shore

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

557 reviews

hockyack's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

jjbcnt's review against another edition

4.0

mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

madamenovelist's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

theraindiary's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Beautifully written book
Question what some of the graphic descriptions add to the story

Content Warnings

stbyleth's review against another edition

3.75

dark hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It gave me impressions of being a dream within the waking world within a dream.

Conceptually, this book is rather interesting and profound. There's a lot to chew on and Murakami himself has said you need to read it several times (I don't like it that much, unfortunately) to fully understand it naturally. Everything is a metaphor but, at the same time, everything is literal. In the same vein, everything makes perfect sense, but at the same time, it's pure nonsense. The pinnacle of combining meaningless phrases such as "it just happens because it does" with answers that delve deep into philosophy. "It just happens because it does" is also philosophy.

Basically, this book is highly paradoxical, which is the point, which renders it not paradoxical, which is the point, which...

In a more personal opinion, though, there were some things that held the book back from reaching its full potential. Kafka himself is dreadfully boring and monotonous, which is the point; however, I realized that I really just didn't care much for what happened to him (I was only interested in how he'd further Nakata's narrative). The oedipal prophecy seems hindering, especially since it's only mentioned close to the halfway point, after which it becomes the full focus of everything Kafka does (perhaps a little more foreshadowing would have suited my tastes, not just for this specific part). The book was very heavy handed and unsubtle while simultaneously being far, far too vague, enough to make many conclusions the reader has come to dissatisfying.

I did, however, enjoy other aspects. Nakata and Hoshino were very refreshing in between Kafka's chapters. I loved the both of them and would have much preferred the story focused more on them rather than Kafka. I also really love the implication of

the In Between World being close to "death" physically, which, with the other hints of it being a representation of someone's trauma, make for a fun thought

.

Again, pretty solid overall. This is the first Murakami work I've written and I've come to understand it might be his weakest. I intend to read more of his works because I do like the dreamy atmosphere.

Content Warnings