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

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Murakami

396 reviews

maddieand7's review against another edition

2.5

Content Warnings

coolmathgames's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

halfway through and my thoughts are: i do not like the weird freudian oedipus shit going on. I groaned so hard when they mention Oedipus. The themes prior to that were so strong I was praying it wouldn’t go that way, but I was unfortunately correct.
Murakami’s writing style is amazingly enchanting and I love that about his books, but I feel that's whats kept me from not dropping this book. He’s able to draw you into such a vivid scene that feels like you're in a dream with his surrealism. It feels as if he tries too hard to incorporate the controversial aspects of humanity-which can be amazing when executed properly- in a way that just feels like someones repressed sexual urges being smeared all over the paper. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, it all feels almost like a bad dream. Hazy and murky, primal and bizarre. I understand the appeal of the story as a whole, it’s beautifully written at times and it does an amazing job of bringing everything to life despite how strange. I’ve never frowned so hard at a book than at a lengthy scene of a woman describing her sex dreams being moody from her period causing her to abuse her elementary students. like what was the point of that.

after finishing this, I have more questions than I had before. spent awhile just sitting there thinking. It has beautiful main themes regarding time and the passage of it and the way in which we each perceive the world. Oshima consistently repeats that everything is a metaphor, and I feel that's a main idea of the book. Everything that happens is a metaphor. I love the concept of Kafka being not only a lover from the past but something new, but I dislike the incest oedipus themes regarding it. I love the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy, but he really did not need to fulfill those prophecies.

Overall, I think I like it more than before, but there's just so much within that threw me off.
Nakata is an amazing character to me, but I'm still puzzled by what exactly his actions represent at times, I know it doesn't only represent HIM, but the symbolism of the impact of his actions onto other characters. I wish Murakami didn't butcher female characters when writing them, but I will give him credit for writing a trans character in a relatively tasteful manner compared to other writers in my opinion. Beautifully written at times, insanely immersive and just utterly bizarre. Meant to leave you confused and thinking.

Content Warnings

hannxm's review against another edition

2.0

dark funny mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Content Warnings

wheatsquares33's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Note: I listened to about the first 60% as an audiobook (which was very well done!), but then I realized that I could read it faster than I'd listen to it, so I bought it physically and read the rest.

Very good book, there's a lot a lot to unpack here. Murakami says that it requires multiple readings, and yeah it's very that.

More than anything, it's a very surreal story. And in a way that I very much enjoy, I love stories that throw everything at the wall--some things symbolically, some just for fun. It's very cool.

I finished the book satisfied, but there are still some questions I need to answer, and I'm fine with that.

Even without the more esoteric content, this was a very enjoyable listen/read. I love Nakata and Hoshino and Oshima, all great characters. It's just a good coming of age story at its core, and there's a lot to dig into alongside that.

Some moments like the uh Johnny Walker cat chapter and some of the sex stuff are unpleasant and a bit excessive. But it does all kinda contribute to the flow of the story?

So hang pretty baller book. Will probably read again someday

Content Warnings

barkfreely's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I nearly threw up on the tram while reading this book because of the cat section (iykyk). Horrific, still affected me the second time - and haunts me even years later. Well written in Murakami's typical minimal and yet equally detailed, descriptive style. You can visualise what's happening - the world is paved very meticulously. Very interesting, wild and tumultuous narrative; it draws you in. Made my skin crawl at points; times where I hated to see the ideas but couldn't stop.

Humans being human, emotional, illogical and impulsive, violent, caring and gentle - even within the backdrop of unexplained phenomenon. Classic Murakami.

Content Warnings

sushcore's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

Content Warnings

valjeanval's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I picked this one up at the library to celebrate Banned Books Month. I've read a bit of Murakami in the past, so I expected some weirdness, and I was right to expect it. This book is an Oedipal myth, and it gets very mythy with talking cats, personality displacement, and portals to pocket dimensions. I couldn't see the exact reason why it was banned, but probably statutory sex scenes with people who may be mother/son but it could also be the fact that it features a trans man who is particularly nuanced and treated like a human being by basically every character. You just never know with book banners.

My husband often asks me if I'm liking whatever I'm reading, and I often found that questions hard to answer with this one. This book is profoundly uncomfortable and occasionally horrific. It's also Murakami, so there's a great deal I probably need four or five re-reads to interpret. Did I like it? Kind of? When I wasn't horrified? It's hard to explain. I had similar feelings after 1Q84. I like reading Murakami, though, because it really makes my literary interpreter brain kick into gear. Even when I don't understand points of the story, I enjoy thinking about them and why they are there. This book made me think about Japanese civilians in WWII, Greek Mythology, classical music, poetry, libraries as memories, memories as libraries, why people help others, capitalism, philosophy, and lots more, so it felt worth my time. That said, definitely check out some trigger warnings before reading this one.

Content Warnings