One of his most popular novels is Kafka on the Shore, which was first published in 2002. His work often blends elements of surrealism, fantasy, and realism, which creates a mesmerizing experience for the reader. Overall, I enjoyed reading “1Q84” more than “Kafka on the Shore” – it had a more complex and well-rounded plot (also more than 2x pages) and I personally felt it was easier to relate with the characters.Haruki Murakami is a Japanese novelist who is known for his unique style of writing. In addition, both books have alternating chapters that present the main characters’ point of view. I easily identified Murakami’s style in both books, with out of the blue surreal happenings, music references, detailed meals descriptions, and many cats appearing in the story. Given that I read “Kafka on the Shore” right after reading “1Q84”, I could not help myself and compare the two books. Just so you know, be prepared for some unpleasant images. And there were also some erotic happenings that I think could’ve been avoided without diminishing the overall value of the story.

However, there were also few sections that I did not enjoy at all – some descriptions were so disturbing that I was seriously considering to skip those passages. We also have the Oedipus myth, references to the Japanese Shinto religion, portals, and many more … It is surely a puzzling story. For example, we are presented a limbo village (where souls of dead people reside as they could not go to heaven/hell), and we read about people who have a shadow “only half as dark as that of ordinary people”. What fascinated me the most while reading this book was not the plot itself, neither the characters, but the plethora of riddles, metaphors, and hidden meanings used by Murakami. Nakata and Kafka, illustrated by Oneirio Hidden meanings These kind of happening are the norm in Murakami’s universe. They are both in a world where weird things happen, for example, fish fall from the sky and cats talk with humans.

On the other hand, we have Nakata – an ageing man who lost his mental capacities after a war experience in childhood. On one hand, we have Kafka – a 15-year-old boy, passionate about reading, who runs away from home and experiences his first love. We are told two stories which seem to be completely parallel … but actually, they’re not. So I picked another Murakami book, this time from my brother’s bookshelf (thank you, Andrei!), and I immersed myself again in the surreal world imagined by the Japanese writer in “Kafka on the Shore”. After reading a book, I usually want to try something else, or I already decided what book to read next and I stick to the plan.īut after reading “ 1Q84“, none of these two options happened. I start this post by making a confession: reading two books in a row (not part of a series) written by the same author was a first for me.

Haruki murakami kafka