I recently finished reading kafka on shore and was immensely disappointed as well(My 1st book of murakami)(I was over hyped as well)
Let’s start with kafka tamura, author ruined the character and it’s like the author doesn’t understand the character himself, Like I was really annoyed when kafka said “I forgive you”
to Miss Saeki, this line doesn’t sound like a boy, who’s mothers boyfriend died, so she fucked a lot of guys and then met your father and you were born, but after you turned 4 she left you alone with a toxic father because she loved you for who 11 FUCKING YEARS, Just to reappear to have sex with her son……
I really wanted kafka to say that “I cannot forgive you for what have you done to me, you ruined my childhood” (OP understand, hows it’s like to be lonely, almost everyone does)and the miss should have been content with answer because she can’t change what’s done and just accept the mistake as it is and can reflect on it, but the author literally took a dump on the character
Then Miss Saeki, what whore man!
Like I felt like every character is going fuck her (I was honestly waiting for oshima and miss saeki scissor scene 💀) And yep, I understand a pain of loved one and losing a lover is very very very very very very sad, but bitch doesn’t waste time and doesn’t care about her parents , friends etc and goes to get milk, whole 2 times in book..but directly gets to fuck other guys non stop, and then complains about her shitty life was, and shitty character writing honestly
Then oshima, Nice character, liked his personality design but sometimes felt like a preacher than a character and I know philosophy and ideology is very important, but after a while it gets repetitive, felt like author was filling pages with it
Then, there is Nakata, The Nakata related stories were honestly good(If there are a knock off of Nakata the cat detective, I would honestly buy it) Nakata as a character was at 2nd place, and had a solid image in head, felt like a real person, nice character design honestly
And finally, Hoshino, I could just say one word about him “Incredible”.
I liked the half book, Nakata part is honestly good, I don’t really mind rape, incest, murder etc anything like that (Johnnie Walker was my favourite scene of the book)
But the kafka part is worst, shittest writing I have ever seen in a book till now
And people say murakami’s books has magical realism, but I honestly thought Cap
Murakami’s book was boring(I heard this one was his best) I will be not reading murakami’s books again, if this is his best work,
And if you want to read magical realism, then read “ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my favourite books……(Recommendation Please)
by Original_Fee5260