Dani (The Pluviophile Writer)'s Reviews > Kafka on the Shore

Wow, this book was unlike anything that I have ever read before. It was weird. Strange. But it was all my kind of weird!

This novel is, well very philosophical. You have to read behind each page and each event and get into the to the idea of the shadow and how we have two pieces of ourselves. Oshima was the physical representation of this idea. I believe that the story is a reference to Plato's work in the "The Republic" along with a sort of Oedipus complex that was applied to character of Kafka. I also believe that the novel is also a representation of fate in which there are certain paths that are laid out for us and our choice comes from which path we walk.

People, shadows, memories and lives are all intertwined in this book and give everything a sense of purpose. I adored the characters, particularly Nakata. His truthful and simple character allowed for the book to transition efficiently and step away from the other strange events unfolding in the book. Miss Saki's character left me perplexed and curious as to what really happened in her life to shape her and what was really going on inside of her head most of the time. Kafka, I felt I could relate to the most and I think he is meant to be this way. He is the centre of the story and the pulling together of the whole philosophy that the novel represents. Kafka is supposed to represent a piece of us all.

It's been almost a month since I've finished this book and I am still uncertain what else to say about it. I keep thinking about it. I could probably spend a year analyzing this book and still have questions. With that, I am not going to say much more about it other than I'm completely captivated by the novel and there are some strong truths about life that I'm certain I will come back to.