Reviews with content warning for Rape - Kafka on the Shore

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

557 reviews

wamia's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

marilgc's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark slow-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: Complicated

As is to be expected with Murakami this book was very bizzare. It lost me sometimes and felt somewhat self indulgent however something about it really pulled me in and felt like a dark temptation. I found both love and resent to every character.

Content Warnings

mrej's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was surprising easy to get through which I believe is attributed to the incredible writing style. Murakami gives you a graphic and realistic insight into the mind of the characters that sometimes feels like too much and others not enough. Despite the use of fantasy elements, the story always feels grounded in our reality. I felt that the impossible and mundane events were given the same level of detail and care so I cared about both equally. I am knocking off a 0.25 stars for the graphic content that did put me off the book but an amazing book all the same.

Content Warnings

anja_karenjina's review against another edition

5.0

challenging hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

adibasultana's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I am conflicted on how to feel about this book. It was very poetic, symbolic, and I loved the actual storyline. However every female is written disgustingly and I can’t overlook the sexual content - every sexual encounter is deeply disturbing, unethical and rapey.

Content Warnings

sampadaac's review against another edition

2.75

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

writing style is great but some of the themes in this book are just.... why???????

Content Warnings

star_witch's review against another edition

3.75

I honestly wished I had read the trigger warnings beforehand because it was brutal. Chapter 16? It scared me for life, it haunts me in my dreams. Life will never be the same.

Ofc we also have adult/minor relationship, with sexual content and Murakami sprinkled some incest there as well. It was... It was a time not gonna lie. Hated every second of it.

And yet, despite the fact that I absolutely hated some themes of this book and I definitely think that some things could have been altered and it would still capture the story the same way without traumatizing the reader, it was an unexpectedly good book. The writing style and the way the story was told managed to hold my attention. I couldn't figure out where the plot was going so that's why I kept reading even after some of the worst experiences I had while reading a book. The characters were unique, and while we definitely have some really problematic ones, imo

*cough* Ms. Saeki and Johnnie Walker *cough, cough*

, I overall liked them and their journey. One obviously stands out to me. Oshima.

Also serious question. What is Colonel Sanders doing in this book? And Johnnie Walker too.

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It is definitely not a book I would recommend to anyone. If you would like to read it I strongly advise you to check the trigger warnings before doing so. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Content Warnings