This book I did very much enjoy. I purchased it after reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and was looking forward to another novel where I could give myself over to the writing free of expectations. Although it sat on my shelf for some time before I got to it, Kafka On the Shore didn’t disappoint. It wasn’t as layered as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle; I didn’t find it to be as immersive. Nonetheless, it was engaging and unexpected and lyrical at points.

With just these two novels, Murakami is becoming one of my favorite authors. I have read the odd short story of his and plan to sit down with the anthologies that are now available in the States. I checked a stack of other books by him from the library this fall, but returned them unread after getting swamped with other things. The pleasure of reading his works is definitely diminished when pressed for time, so I plan to return to them when my life is a bit more leisurely. Yes, I know, I work at home, how much more leisurely can it get, you’re wondering. I work at home, is my answer, and autumn has emerged as a busy season even outside the framework of the academic schedule.

Returning to Murakami: his writing is reminiscent of two other Japanese authors that rank among my favorites, Kazuo Ishiguro and Banana Yoshimoto. I tend to prefer the less traditional of Ishiguro’s works, as they provide the same ability to release expectations and get lost in the writing. I’ve realized that I enjoy that way of reading a book, getting carried along without being sure what kind of experience you’re having, unable even at the end to label or evaluate it. This only happens with excellent writing, of course, although there seem to be nations and cultures whose writers are more in this style than others. At any rate, I see similarities to Yoshimoto’s narratives in Murakami’s plots (such as they are).

If you were only going to read one book by Murakami, I’d still recommend The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, mostly because I imagine you’d be hooked after that one. Once hooked, Kafka On the Shore is a nice follow-up.