Reviews with content warning for Rape - Kafka on the Shore

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

557 reviews

jesromas's review against another edition

3.5

mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book has two converging plot lines, one of which I loved and the other felt like if Jordan Peterson decided to write magical realism. Murakami is obviously an excellent writer— I loved the ambience and liked the prose. However, this is regrettably a book that would be better if there were simply no female characters because he is seemingly incapable of writing women like a normal person.

Content Warnings

cutepatzie's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-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

It's a very interesting book and concept. Definitely something fresh. It's amazing how it's like reading to book but is one cohesive story. Amazing how the autor makes such an amazing story that makes you want to read more to find out every detail of what is happening. This story is for people to not read it sounds like maniac speach. But still such a good book.

Content Warnings

frenchtoastt's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I personally think that Haruki Murakami is a wonderful writer, he’s brilliant and I will truly stand by that. But, his portrayal of women is something I find really difficult to read and this may sound like a broken record, but it’s a topic that is repeatedly brought up throughout this book which becomes more and more challenging to overlook. I think the kafka-esque aspect of the plot brought a lot of enjoyment into the story and without it I believe I would most likely have abandoned the book halfway through reading it.

Content Warnings

aggbutterfly's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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: No

This is the first book that I’ve read that has made me want to immediately reread it. I deeply related to Kafka and his urge to find out who he is. Life is how it is and we can’t change it but that’s ok as long as you know who you are, I suppose.
“People will bleed there, and you will bleed too. Hot, red blood. You’ll catch that blood in your hands, your own blood and the blood of other.”

Content Warnings

emmabc's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

Only reason it didn’t get 5 stars was because the things I put in the content warnings got to be a bit much for me. Fascinating philosophical ideas. So many great quotes. Interesting characters and story

Content Warnings

maryyee's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous mysterious 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

readingwithkelsey's review against another edition

1.0

Miss twenty-twenty-two has not been the year for me, folks. Not only was this one of the worst books I read this year, it is also a huge disappointment for me - and my relationship with Murakami in general. We have a really hit or miss relationship. Some of his works (1Q84 or Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage) are among my favourites, where as some of them have just not been hits. Unfortunately, Kafka falls into the latter category. The writing, as expected, was beautiful. Murakami has a way with words that are just breathtaking, and if you like flowery, over the top writing, this man is for you. Murakami also loves discussing/integrating/forcing weird, sexual scenes into his books that may or may not have a point. I think sex can be used as a literary device in novels to evoke a sense of intimacy, exploration and movement in a character's life (not just physically) and sometimes, that works. In this book, I feel like while these moments of sex do engage with Kafka's movements, they felt gratuitous and unnecessary.
Especially considering that the character is 15 years old, him engaging with a 50 year old woman (who may or may not be his mother as well) and sexually assaulting a 20 year old woman (in a dream, who may or may not be his sister) was tasteless. Yes, I get that this is supposed to mirror a greek tragedy in its many themes and forms (specifically Sophocles' Oedipus Rex) but I still stand by my point that it was grossly unnecessary (like make the character older if this was needed??? Idk). As well, another big big trigger warning for animal mutilation in this novel - also, unneeded? Like??? What was the point?
This book leaves you to decide what to take from it, and while I usually enjoy that type of pretentiousness from Murakami, this was just not it and left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand that people can take some profound messages from the novel, but I will not lol

Content Warnings