Kafka...but on the beach!

I have always wondered what Haruki Murakami's books and writing style are, since he is the first modern Japanese author that I have read. While "Norwegian Wood" wasn't one of my favourite books, "Kafka on the Shore "is something different. The real and imaginary first go one after another, but later they mix in such a way that you don't even need to depict what is true and what is not. Just like in the state between wakefulness and dream. What is real and what is a dream? While reading, I reminded myself of a very thrilling question: "What if the experience during dreaming is more real than the one we have while awake?"

The beginning of the book is very grounded, with only a hint of what is about to unravel. Reality as it is. There are even some historical facts about the period of WW2 mentioned, which I personally enjoyed.

Not only does the book give off a very unique vibe, but the characters also bring up the topic of reality. The main character, Kafka Tamura, himself wonders why he feels the made-up stories in a book are more real than the emotionless mass of people at the station.

One of the thoughts shared by the characters of the book was that without imagination, there would be no responsibility. Simple, yet very interesting concept! One has to be able to see the full picture, from different angles, to understand the consequences of their actions. Otherwise, he would claim innocence and blame the others for being unjust.

I thought about the existential perspective of freedom being connected with responsibility. Maybe imagination is also required for one to experience true freedom. If so, then freedom is more dependent on the perspective and inner feeling, rather than the outer factors. That fits well with Viktor Frankl's perspective on freedom and meaning in life.

The storyline is fascinating and makes you read it quickly- that was my mistake, and for that, I probably missed many things. Next time, I plan to reread the book and interpret it as if I am working with dream content. Would definitely recommend it because I personally liked it and think that Murakami asks a lot of valuable questions in his book. It's hard to feel indifferent after the story!