Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-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
From start to finish this book kept me captivated with its surreal nature and excellent storytelling. It was confusing in all the best ways, you really want to keep going and find out what will happen next.
The characters are well developed, my favourite being Hoshino or Oshima. The scenes from Kafka's perspectives do a great job of what a 15 year old boy would think in given situations and feels quite authentic.
This book deals with some heavy topics. Please check the trigger warnings here before you go in because it may be upsetting. If you are OK currently to read this book I highly recommend.
The characters are well developed, my favourite being Hoshino or Oshima. The scenes from Kafka's perspectives do a great job of what a 15 year old boy would think in given situations and feels quite authentic.
This book deals with some heavy topics. Please check the trigger warnings here before you go in because it may be upsetting. If you are OK currently to read this book I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Transphobia
emotional
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
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest
Minor: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
what?
i'll start with the things i enjoyed.
the writing is beautiful, there are so many things in this book that i could be able to pull out and make into a meaningful quote. i also loved some of the characters, they're well thought out, especially hoshino. the musical, cultural and philosophical references are probably the best part. also great commentary on war.
now for what i disliked.
the whole thing was so vague (and i know what to expect from magical realism, my fav book of all time is japanese magical realism), nothing really made sense. i mean, how is nakata connected to kafka? they never even meet. nakata simply killed his father, who he saw as johnny walker.
i understand that the mc is a 15 year old boy, but seriously, can he not talk about his dick for ONE chapter? not to mention the sexual relationship with a 50+ year old woman who he thinks is his mom. andraping the girl, who he hopes is his sister.
oh, the graphic animal abuse wasn't great, it was pointless, we never see johnny walker ever again with his cat-soul flute.
the end wasn't good either! it feels like this book needs a sequel.
overall. i understand why it gets high ratings and why it's so loved. maybe it's the translation i read didn't do it justice, but that doesn't change the fact that it is incredibly confusing and disturbing.
i'll start with the things i enjoyed.
the writing is beautiful, there are so many things in this book that i could be able to pull out and make into a meaningful quote. i also loved some of the characters, they're well thought out, especially hoshino. the musical, cultural and philosophical references are probably the best part. also great commentary on war.
now for what i disliked.
the whole thing was so vague (and i know what to expect from magical realism, my fav book of all time is japanese magical realism), nothing really made sense.
i understand that the mc is a 15 year old boy, but seriously, can he not talk about his dick for ONE chapter? not to mention the sexual relationship with a 50+ year old woman who he thinks is his mom. and
oh, the graphic animal abuse wasn't great, it was pointless, we never see johnny walker ever again with his cat-soul flute.
the end wasn't good either! it feels like this book needs a sequel.
overall. i understand why it gets high ratings and why it's so loved. maybe it's the translation i read didn't do it justice, but that doesn't change the fact that it is incredibly confusing and disturbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Murder
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Rape
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Incest, Rape
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Abandonment
mysterious
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:
Yes
hell of a book……
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Rape
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Blood
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really liked parts of it. There were a lot of quotes and ideas i resonated with and parts of kafka that made me feel so comforted but at the end of the day there’s so many disgusting parts that detract from it. It’s written wonderfully and has so much potential but the misogyny and incest shit and dodgy age gaps and one dimensional women are hard to ignore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Incest, Rape
Moderate: Misogyny