Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Kafka On The Shore

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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami

396 reviews

artlie's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional 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: Complicated

This is the second Murakami book I read, and I am enthralled by his language. His style of writing is entirely up my alley, mysterious yet somehow amazingly descriptive nonetheless. So much is left unexplained, yet I am fully satisfied in the end. It's an adventure from page one to the last page, yet it's written in a matter of fact way that leaves you feeling like the fantasy is just part of life.

The one thing that bothers me and keeps it from a 5* is Murakamis constant depiction of women as obsessed with sex. In Norwegian wood it kinda fit the theme until it didn't, but I can't help but feel like all his female characters are just the same person, there's no actual variety to them. They are all 100% supportive to the main character, all interested in the main character and all interested in sex. Even the minor female characters are very similar in the way they exist only to support the male main characters.

Also Sakura could be completely removed from this book and it would still have the exact same impact.

Content Warnings

chloerickards's review against another edition

3.5

mysterious reflective 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: Yes

Too Oedipal for my tastes

Content Warnings

sandralen's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

sara_livrosas23h's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional 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

faceplate1187's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Good. Engrossing. Makes you not want to put it down. Ending leaves a lot to be desired.

Content Warnings

richardme123's review against another edition

5.0

emotional mysterious reflective fast-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: N/A

Kafka on the Shore is about moving on; it is a story unbound by logic that leaves many questions unanswered. In the words of Oshima, the whole world is a metaphor”. The story follows 2 main characters, Kafka and Nakata. Kafka is fighting to discover his sense of self, and Nakata is an old man whose life was changed by a childhood accident. Nakata, a man with half a shadow just like a Saeki, killed Johnnie Walker, but Kafka’s dad also died. Perhaps there is some spiritual link between Johnnie and Kafka’s dad, maybe the tyranny one toward cats and the other towards Kafka. Nakata was potentially an empty vessel through which Kafka killed his dad/Johnnie since he was covered in blood. The weird forest downhill inside the entrance was maybe some kind of afterlife or Purgatory, implying Saeki’s soul died at 15 rather than 20. Kafka, leaving this place, becomes a changed person. Maybe that’s what purgatory does to a man. Kafka fulfilled the prophecy and had sex with both his mother and sister. However, we can’t say that Sakura was, in fact, his sister, but perhaps Kafka thought he fulfilled the prophecy even in a dream (which tended to be quite real). Finally, the boy named Crow was maybe a Karasu Tengu, a Japanese Legend referring to an inner crow which helps a child find their home. It was a very eye-opening read that left many questions unanswered in classic Murakami fashion.

Content Warnings