Encounters with Murakami
It's been a couple of years ago when I was first introduced to Haruki Murakami. And I've had a brush with his work but haven't read one of his novels until this past week. When I first read an article about Murakami I wanted to read one of his books, in particular A Wild Sheep Chase but haven't found it anywhere for quite some time.
Then about a year and a half ago a friend of mine gave me a copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which I started to read immediately upon receiving it. I read for some time and then because very disenchanted with the novel. It's a collection of various people telling their story to an individual in search for a missing cat. I wouldn't say that I don't like the book but I didn't really feel it was moving forward. I'm not ready to give up on The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle so, I have the book sitting on my shelf with the bookmark still in it. I hope to get back to it some day, after reading this book my interest in Murakami has peaked again.
When the book club I'm a part of in Seoul (Bookleaves) wanted to read something by Murakami, because none of us has read a book by him, I suggested we read Kafka on the Shore. The book came to mind because I had a conversation of my former employer at Family & Company in Stratford ONT and they have read a number of his novels and told me this was his best. I must say that I am glad we chose this book for the group.
Kafka on the Shore is the story of the teenage runaway Kafka Tamura and the story of the elderly Nakata. The two tales do interest that help bring about a great conclusion to the story. The story is full of wonderful images and great descriptions. My favorite is the library that Kafka ends up working it. It sounds like the perfect place to go and read, so serene. There are also some odd events such as fish and leaches falling from the sky. And the amazing talent that Nakata posses, the ability to talk to cats.
There were parts of the story I really didn't like. The one that bothered me the most were the scenes of Kafa's sexploits. First we are dealing with a 15-year-old boy having sex with someone he thinks might be his sister and then with a woman in her 50s. If that were not enough the way Murakami talks about sex and his sexual references come across a being very disturbing. When they came up I couldn't help but squirm in my seat. To top it all off the scenes don't really add to the story and I have great issue with gratuitous sex scenes, why have it if it's not necessary for the plot. The only point that these sexual encounters have to do with the novel is the prediction Kafka's father made about him and his mother and sister, and this seems like a ploy just have these in the novel.
Apart from all that the novel was great. And it has me looking forward to reading A Wild Sheep Chase, which I'm reading for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. I'm also bound to get back to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because I enjoyed the book enough, even though there were times I struggled. Kafka on the Shore is an interesting book and a great intro to Murakami.
Then about a year and a half ago a friend of mine gave me a copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which I started to read immediately upon receiving it. I read for some time and then because very disenchanted with the novel. It's a collection of various people telling their story to an individual in search for a missing cat. I wouldn't say that I don't like the book but I didn't really feel it was moving forward. I'm not ready to give up on The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle so, I have the book sitting on my shelf with the bookmark still in it. I hope to get back to it some day, after reading this book my interest in Murakami has peaked again.
When the book club I'm a part of in Seoul (Bookleaves) wanted to read something by Murakami, because none of us has read a book by him, I suggested we read Kafka on the Shore. The book came to mind because I had a conversation of my former employer at Family & Company in Stratford ONT and they have read a number of his novels and told me this was his best. I must say that I am glad we chose this book for the group.
Kafka on the Shore is the story of the teenage runaway Kafka Tamura and the story of the elderly Nakata. The two tales do interest that help bring about a great conclusion to the story. The story is full of wonderful images and great descriptions. My favorite is the library that Kafka ends up working it. It sounds like the perfect place to go and read, so serene. There are also some odd events such as fish and leaches falling from the sky. And the amazing talent that Nakata posses, the ability to talk to cats.
There were parts of the story I really didn't like. The one that bothered me the most were the scenes of Kafa's sexploits. First we are dealing with a 15-year-old boy having sex with someone he thinks might be his sister and then with a woman in her 50s. If that were not enough the way Murakami talks about sex and his sexual references come across a being very disturbing. When they came up I couldn't help but squirm in my seat. To top it all off the scenes don't really add to the story and I have great issue with gratuitous sex scenes, why have it if it's not necessary for the plot. The only point that these sexual encounters have to do with the novel is the prediction Kafka's father made about him and his mother and sister, and this seems like a ploy just have these in the novel.
Apart from all that the novel was great. And it has me looking forward to reading A Wild Sheep Chase, which I'm reading for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge. I'm also bound to get back to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle because I enjoyed the book enough, even though there were times I struggled. Kafka on the Shore is an interesting book and a great intro to Murakami.
