When one thinks of Murakami Haruki, two titles in particular come to mind. These are, of course, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore, his two best-selling, and perhaps strangely most esoteric works. Kafka on the Shore, unlike the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, breaks away from Murakami's typical formula of strangeness to produce a new sort of success that still flows with his unique tone.
The Child Protagonist
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Kafka on the Shore, relative to Murakami's other works, is the distinct change in protagonist. In Kafka, the protagonist is a young boy struggling to understand his parentage and place in the world, which is utterly different from Murakami's previous novels, which all starred rather droll aging men that were more similar to Murakami himself in temperament.
What is particularly interesting about this shift is that Murakami had already once revolutionized Japanese first person storytelling by adopting a casual tone and syntax, something previously unheard of in Japanese literature. The break from a character more like himself to young "Kafka," as he calls himself, is one that shows a broadening in the range of Murakami's literary ability.
Also unique to Kafka is the introduction of a second, separate protagonist. Kafka is rather a story of two connected individuals being drawn towards each other through inexplicable events, rather than the personal journey of one individual. Although the story is ultimately one of young Kafka's personal growth,
Plot Progression
Kafka on the Shore is more suspenseful than Murakami's typical fare as well. Utilizing devices as forbidden as incest, Murakami manages to draw the reader not only into his typical dreamlike atmosphere, but into an intense concentration as the plot becomes increasingly more gripping. Because of this, despite its length, Kafka serves to feel like an altogether shorter novel than Murakami's other works.
The Draw of the Esoteric
One of the aspects that doubtlessly makes Murakami so successful as a writer is the sense of esoterism that couples with his work. Kafka is by far the most obscure piece in Murakami's repertoire in this regard, the author even claiming that the book explains itself by answering its own questions, which essentially leaves the novel highly up to interpretation. However, that interpretation sparks fan followings in the oddest of places, and the pieces that Murakami does leave up to the reader to discover the meaning in are not directly attached to the central plot, allowing for a successful enjoyment of the novel even with its hidden aspects.
All in all, Kafka on the Shore is a great read for those that enjoy the obscure or unique literature, but a more mainstream reader may find the concepts and progression to be too inaccessible to enjoy.
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