Written by Y.J.
Picture below: Author with his book
Information
Author: Haruki Murakami / Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Magical Realism / Published: 2002
Summary
By employing two primary personalities as optics, Kafka, a 15-year-old misfit who carries his narcissistic personality on his back, and Nakata, a senior citizen wounded after World War Two. Haruki Murakami digs into this multifaceted and incredibly perplexing subject by using the literary device of magical realism in his stories to explore complicated concepts as well as implications that could be elusive in a more conventional writing style. In his ongoing search for meaning, Kafka wrestles with the idea of his own existence and begins to doubt his morals, motivations, and true nature. His subconscious assumes prominence from the very beginning of the book, with "Crow” emerging as a mystifying monster that represents Kafka's innermost ideas. Crow also acts as a guiding principle and voice of logic for Kafka.
Dreams are the cornerstone on which Kafka on the Shore is built. The significance of dreams is highlighted in this book. They represent a tremendous force that transcends what is regarded in a dreamer's psyche, and in the process, transcends what are considered supernatural perceptions. Murakami uses the notion that the main character has episodic recollection loss—possibly because of the awful incident they had earlier—to insert fantastical and dreamlike scenes that happen to take place in the protagonist's head as opposed to actual events or historical facts. However, dreams are more likely to have an impact on reality.
This results in a lovely contrast where the dreams help trace and establish the storyline of the story. The plot is nevertheless driven by dreams, despite how hazy and obvious they are, with the objective to satiate the primary character's true desires.
How the Book Relates to the Modern World
The concept of personal identification and how one loses themselves is explored in the book. The book constantly brings up topics of human and morality that are debated today. The setting of the novel, despite being a fantasy, is set during WWII. As such, Murakami examines the repercussions of the war in pursuit of the many unexplored facets that have left an impact on contemporary society. The novel also brings up the reason why people dream. Dreams frequently represent the expression of suppressed emotions, raising to the surface the buried longings and desires of the psychological makeup of people.
Rating
As Murakami is obviously familiar with Japanese literature, he partakes in a common trope that many Japanese stories follow which is blurring the lines. What exactly is true and what is not? Who should you trust and who should you not? All of these questions Murakami has put and wrapped nicely into his thought-provoking and riveting story; Kafka On The Shore.
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