First impressions and context

I picked this book during my trip in Hanoi. I saw a cafe/bookshop combo while walking in a mall and decided to pick up a book to kill the time. I had heard about the author earlier so decided to look up a good first time book and chose this one. I had no expectations or information about the plot before diving in so it was a really interesting read. While I did enjoy the book, I was left with a feeling of confusion and annoyance by the end.

What worked

The idea of 2 parallel stories was fun. There were parts like Kafka’s quest to find freedom, where I felt connected to the book. The buildup was engaging and the environment setup was really vivid. There were so many instances where I was immersed (like the cabin or the first visit to the library). There were segments like Nakata’s backstory which were so emotionally charged. There was a feeling of mystery at the start of the story and a feeling of dots connecting when parts of parallel stories converged in Kafka’s hometown. I also really enjoyed the references from different books to convey a point or an argument.

What didn’t work

While the buildup was really intense, the ending left me confused and wanting closure. Murakami introduces the concept of Chekhov’s gun but the book repeatedly contradicts it. There are elements, like the knife Kafka carries to the forest, the teacher’s repressed sexuality or the flute Johnnie Walker builds, which feel like setups waiting for payoffs that never arrive. The sexual encounters especially feel forced. They are presented as though they should carry thematic weight but I couldn’t find it. Personally, this left me with a feeling of missing coherence.

The questions you’re left with

As I just read the book, I feel a bodily resistance to its ideas. So I am documenting some questions which I still have lingering around and would like to come back to when I am older, wiser, calmer.

• What was the boy named Crow? It felt like an inner voice or an alter ego but in so many places it became a projection of the young Tomura boy or even an independent projection.
• What was the relation between Johnnie Walker and Kafka’s father? Is it implied that Kafka’s father was evil? And why would he curse his own son?
• Why would Kafka’s mother leave with only the daughter? Assuming Ms Saeki was Kafka’s mother, then why would she not stay with the daughter too? And if I assume she is not, I just keep wondering why would she leave her younger son?
• How did Hoshino inherit Nakata’s cat speaking powers? Nakata got the ability as a result of losing himself but that was not the case with Hoshino. It just feels like a lazy plot.
• Why did Nakata get targeted by the stone? And what came out of Nakata after his death? It was told that some part or shadow of Nakata was missing. So lifting the stone should have returned that to him. Was it some kind of evil that hid in the shell when the stone opened?

What I think the book is trying to do

My understanding is that the book is trying to show the world through the lens of a 15 year old who tries to run away from his father’s curse and is so engrossed in the concept of fate that he unconsciously tries to fulfil it. He believes Sakura to be his sister and Ms Saeki as his mother which the story neither confirms nor denies. His sexual encounters with both of them happened for reasons that differed from Kafka’s. For Sakura’s case, the first encounter was a casual interaction for her but Kafka attributed it to fate. For Ms Saeki, it was her guilt and pain from her loss.

This interpretation, however, is a reflection of my thought process and experiences. And I guess this is what Murakami is trying to do. He has left gaps for the reader to fill in with their ideas/experiences/emotions. This would also mean there are some parts which I would not be able to relate to.

Final verdict and future self note

One factor to my dislike of the book might be my preference in readings. I do like fictional adventures with mysteries but I also like to understand the mystery. My previous book was the Foundation series by Asimov which is in high contrast to this book. Mysteries are introduced, made increasingly intense and then resolved in a grand conclusion.

While I do understand the motive, I didn’t enjoy it. The feeling of a mystery left unsolved is very unsettling. I guess as I gain more experiences, I might be able to understand more of the book. I highly doubt I will pick it up again though. But I am still curious about other works from Murakami. Maybe I’ll try something more relatable.