A review by nbeurskens
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Though I loved the sheer weirdness of this book, it was a little bit of a difficult read for me. I enjoyed the mystery and the room for the reader to interpret stuff themselves. Though I do think the very ambitious plotlines could have been brought together more coherently, and explained a little better. 

I found the sexual scenes, especially the ones including the 15-year-old Kafka, extremely difficult to read. They felt unnecessary and very very wrong. Not a fan. 

I did like the role of cats in this book, and Nakata was such a wonderful character! Just altogether a confusing and very mixed reading experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Rape

Main character, who is a minor, sleeps with his supposed mother and has a sexual encounter with his 20-something-year-old sister. He also rapes her in a dream.