I have never been trapped in a book before. I know this is something good. Because it only means that the writer is so good that he was able to cage me in his own world by just using words. But for me it was more than good. It was weird.
It was easy to read, but it was difficult to digest. It’s like eating an ordinary candy with an extraordinary feel and taste in your mouth. You know it was a candy, but when it is in your mouth, you are confused if what you’re eating is really a candy or something else. That’s how I felt, even until now.
If you’ll ask me what are the scenes I remember in detail, I might not be able to give any. To be honest, I have forgotten some of the scenes. All I can remember are the emotions I felt while reading certain parts of the book like the part when Johnnie Walker cold heartedly killed the cats or that time when Kafka got lost in the forest or that calming feeling of when Hoshino was drinking coffee in a cafe while listening to Archduke Trio or that empty and blank feeling of when Nakata was staring at the pictures of the cats in the library. These are just some of the many emotions I had.
After finishing the book, I suddenly felt this sudden urge to reflect on my own life, on my own existence. It’s as if I’m unconsciously integrating the metaphors in the book to my own life. I know it’s weird and superficial. But when you read a Murakami book, nothing is normal.
At the end of the day, all I get from reading this book, aside from the really good quotes, is a weird and empty feeling.
The Story
Kafka On The Shore is a story of two heroes whose lives were intertwined. One, is a 15-year old runaway boy named Kafka Tamura while the other one is a 60-year old man named Satoru Nakata.
Kafka’s story revolves on how he ran away from his home and from his dad who gave him a creepy prophecy about him having sex with his mother, violating his sister and killing his own father.
In his attempt to escape his fate, he traveled far and arrived at Shikoku. There she met a girl named Sakura. Kafka has a feeling that Sakura might be her sister, who’s gone missing with her mother when he was just four years old.
One day, without knowing what happened, he woke up in front of a shrine with his shirt soaked with blood. Without anyone to ask for help, he ended up calling Sakura. Sakura helped him and let him stay in her apartment for a while. But Kafka knew that he must leave and so he ended up living in the Komura Library, where he met Oshima, an androgynous assistant librarian.
In this small library he also met Ms. Saeki. Staying in the library, he was haunted by the 15-year old self of Ms. Saeki. Later on, he realized that he was in love with Ms. Saeki, not just his 15-year old spirit but the old and real Ms. Saeki.
He also had a theory that Ms. Saeki is his mother. But Ms. Saeki neither denied nor confirmed it. As prophesied he made love with Ms. Saeki in the library during the night. He also had the feeling that the day he woke up with blood on his shirt was the day he killed his father, though he doesn’t have any memories about it. But the news report confirmed that on the same night he woke up with blood is the same night that his father died with many stabs in his body.
Later on, he also dreamed of having sex with Sakura.
On the other hand, Nakata, a mentally defective man who has the ability to talk to cats, left his home after killing someone who looks like Johnnie Walker (from the whiskey label). Johnnie Walker, who gruesomely kills cat and eat their heart, ask Nakata to kill him. After seeing his cat friends being tortured, he stabbed Johnnie Walker many times until he dies.
While travelling, he met Hoshino. Hoshino helped him travel and they went to Shikoku. He also helped Nakata to find the entrance stone, open it and close it again.
Hoshino, with the unexpected appearance and help of Colonel Sanders, was able to find the entrance stone. He was also able to help Nakata open it. After opening it, there was a strong thunder in the area. It subsided and Hoshino continues to help Nakata to find a specific place.
It turned out that what they are looking for is the Komura Library. In here, Nakata talked to Ms. Saeki. According to Ms. Saeki, she’s been waiting for him. She gave Nakata a manuscript about her life and ask him to burn it. After that, Ms. Saeki peacefully died in her table. Meanwhile, after Nakata burned the manuscript, he immediately went back to sleep and from there he never woke up.
Hoshino was left with the entrance stone. Having no idea what to do, a cat appeared before him and he was surprised to understand the cat. The cat explained to Hoshino what he needs to do. He needs to kill something in the middle of the night and after that he needs to close the entrance stone.
The night came and a slimy monster that looks like a long leech came out from Nakata’s mouth. Hoshino tried to kill it but it keeps on regenerating. Seeing the entrance stone on the corner he tried to lift it with all his might. After lifting and flipping the entrance stone, he was able to successfully close the entrance stone and he was also able to kill the monster.
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5.
It was weird. But it was a good read. It was more like watching an anime in print. I might read it again.
The 12 Month Book Challenge 