Kafka on the Shore (2002), is a fascinating read with a weird
story, atypical characters and bizarre situations. When you’ve actually read
it, you feel complete even though many story arcs have been left hanging
mid-air. That is probably the best thing about Kafka On The Shore. The story
builds on its fantastical happenings and mysticism without having to rely on
the reader to be able to understand it fully. And as readers, we are also able
to delve deep into this surreal dream without necessarily trying to de-tangle
this whole mish-mash of suspense in the narrative.
The Story
The plot majorly revolves around the quests of multiple
characters, mainly circling back to the inevitably entwined lives of Mr.
Nakata, a very old but not-so-bright guy who can talk to cats; and Kafka
Tamura, the 15 year old kid who wants to run away from his home and his father.
Both of them do things they’ve never done before, meeting the right people and ending
up just where they need to be. Rather evidently, as they both suspect, there is
some higher power or fate at play here. They give in to the capricious inklings
of fate and reside to play their part without anyone trying to comprehend things
much. Hence the reader is left just as clueless and is expected to reside in
the happenings of fate as well without questioning anything or asking for an
explanation.
The plot is filled with colourful and almost unbelievable
characters like Miss Saeki, Oshima, Sakura, and Hoshino. Each of which ends up
being a favourite without any ill feelings towards anyone. But in a story like
Kafka, belief and the reliance on facts seems somewhat illogical. The story is about losing yourself and your sense of being in a dream, in a song, in a painting
with meaning beyond what words can explain. So it’s best not to question anything at
all and just enjoy this peculiarly sentimental odyssey of confused yet committed
characters.
The characters
Miss Saeki- If composure and elegance had a face, they’ll
probably look like Miss Saeki. She is painted in such a manner that you cannot
associate certain characteristics with her like impulsiveness, loudness,
rudeness; even if you wanted to. She exudes class, mesmerising everyone who
ever lays eyes on her. No matter how old is she in a particular scene, 15/19 or
over 50. She is almost ageless in her splendour.
Mr. Nakata- He is gifted in ways more than he can
count probably. Even though Nakata considers himself to be very stupid, he does
have a special ability to talk to cats. He is devoid of any complex emotions
and cannot read/write due to an accident in his childhood. He is on a quest he
is unaware of. Yet he does what is required of him when the situation calls for
it and just mysteriously knows when what has to happen.
Kafka Tamura- The wannabe toughest 15 year old in the world.
Kafka is somebody who is independent and only ever finds solace in reading. He does
not speak much, he is careful and keeps on encountering good people who care
about him. You could say that in a twisted sense of the word, he is quite
lucky but the unknown keeps on tormenting him throughout, until he accepts and
embraces his true self.
Oshima- A fan favourite character who is densely packed with
knowledge and virtues but never once seems to be ostentatious. He does his job
with pride and deals with all the patrons rather humbly unless somebody
particularly picks at his ideals. He helps Kafka and forms a strong bond with
him throughout the story and acts as the guide to lead Kafka from the darkness
of obscurity to lights of the known world, to his roots.
Hoshino- The only regular human being in the entire
narrative, it seems. Sporting a ponytail, chunichi dragons cap and aloha shirt;
Hoshino is the camaraderie of Mr. Nakata, who comes to put absolute faith in
his quest and actions. He doesn’t always understand what is happening around
him or why is it happening but never shies away from a daunting task and stays
by Mr. Nakata’s side, till the very end.
The novel is filled with many more utterly interesting characters
like Sakura, Johnny Walker, Colonel Sanders, The boy named Crow, Mimi the cat,
etc. Each of them stands for the unique quirk they lend to the story aside from
being the central figures in the fair play of destiny. They play their roles well
in being the mediums assisting the protagonists getting closer to their end and
sheltering them or providing information when required. They are like guides or
auxiliary companions who may not have a set position in the arena but it will fall apart
without them.
Themes
Kafka on the Shore is all about individual experiences of
each of the characters. It is not an adventure story. It isn’t exactly about
the suspense or explanations about why things happened the way they did. Kafka
at the end of it all, is about self-acceptance and moving ahead in life no
matter how things in your past remain. It tries to reason with the ideologies that
your past may not always be perfect, it may always pull you back into it, but you
must strive forward and live out your natural life in the real world. There
will be pieces of you torn away and kept locked in the past forever but that
just makes you a new you who is more mature than the older one, capable of
better things. Metaphors aside, the actual personification of this act is Mr.
Nakata who loses half his shadow, his ability to read and write, his
intelligence but gains the exclusive ability to talk to cats. Miss Saeki spends
an entire lifetime mourning the death of her lover but still welcomes death
rejoicing her time which she did get to spend with her lover. Kafka Tamura is
plagued by the terrible oedipal curse put on him by his father but learns that
this isn’t all that defines him and hence shouldn’t let this singular thing
dictate his whole life.
Various thematic devices are touched upon throughout the
novel. Music playing a catalyst in situations to complement the transition of
characters from their earlier mundane selves to a deeper understanding and awe
of the world around them. Art plays a major role in numerous forms. Classic
films, paintings, home décor and the set-up of the dreams are all described to
be aesthetically reminiscent of other-worldliness.
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| A particularly lovely scene when Mr. Nakata is looking a missing cat |
The story spans ages but also reaches a point where time is
of little consequence. And at such a point when even the most fundamental
truths of human existence hold little to no significance, expecting the story
to address materialistic concerns which held meaning earlier, seems a bit
far-fetched. Kafka On the Shore is about finding meaning when there is none. It
is about living; about dreaming and living in those dreams. They aren’t always
pleasant. They aren’t always complete. But they are the toil of your pneuma,
rising from the inmost fibres of your soul. They embody your desires, your
fears and your aspirations. And with a tinge of magic, you see the reality
Kafka experiences.
Reverberations
Kafka on the shore is shaped like a normal curve
experiencing its highest point during the middle. If you are somebody
excessively pragmatic who looks for a well-defined structure with a beginning
and an end, if you are somebody who looks for logic and reason behind every action,
then probably the book would leave you feeling betrayed and wanting for more as
it doesn’t ever tie any lose ends. But if you’re somebody who believes in the
power of imagination, and that all things might happen for a reason but aren’t
always sensible; then you’ll enjoy the novel in its entirety for what it is. A
surreal, dream-like fantasy to the brim, and the overflow marked by elements of
reality which highlight the irrational in contrast with the believable. There
are speaking cats, noiseless flutes, and immortal sentries to have us keep our sense of
wonder intact, along with more mature themes of solitude, loss, and
existentialism. Although what sets Kafka on The Shore apart from the rest, is
the book’s innate ability to curb curiosity at every brink of discovery and yet
coming up with newer surprises so as the pace is almost never lagging. And as
for the more visceral parts of the novel, it’s as Sada said, “If you can’t get
it across in words then it’s better not to try.”
The author purposefully left out commenting on certain events in the novel to preserve the first-hand experience feeling for people who haven't read it yet a.k.a 'no spoilers'.
(the book was once a part of a strange thing which happened to the author, ironically enough, at a library)
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