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Poorva Parashar asked this question about Kafka on the Shore:
WHY is this book so loved? I mean, I didn't gain anything out of it. I'm not asking this as an insult. I genuinely want to know what the special thing about this book is.
Marcus Bird To me it explores a lot of territory in a different way from several of his other books. His other books tend to have some kind of solid closure point…moreTo me it explores a lot of territory in a different way from several of his other books. His other books tend to have some kind of solid closure point, but this one really does take you on a trippy adventure into some metaphysical realms and gives you more questions than answers. It deals with the afterlife, death, murder, responsibility, teen angst, purpose and a host of other things MANY people can relate to. Personally i liked the book but didn't 'love it' in the way say, his book 'Norwegian Wood' impacted me. But my take on your question is that the book sweeps across so much territory (without completely unraveling) is impressive. A world of talking cats and all the stuff I mentioned before that still feels very dark and real it not easy to pull off, and I think this more than anything is the testament to his skill... the world feels 'real' and 'unreal' at the same time. Many writers cannot balance the two very well (so they write either fantasy, or other genre fiction). But this book balances both stories in a way that bring them to a reasonable outcome. Either way, that's what I think! cheers(less)
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Kafka on the Shore
by Haruki Murakami
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