The World's Literature in Europe discussion

Chapters 38-39.

Hoshino and Nakata drive around the city with a map, looking for something but Nakata isn't sure yet what that is, until quite by chance their being lost brings them in front of the Komura Memorial Library.

I like Murakami's style in this book, not only because of the layers of dreams in plain language, but because also his marvelous sense of advocating freedom ("the ultimate freedom to be oneself") and of recognizing human darkness.

"...there are things that only you can do. That's what you gotta focus on--your strengths. Like being able to talk with a stone."

"You don't want to be at the mercy of things outside you anymore, or thrown into confusion by things you can't control...Lift the burden from your shoulders and live--not caught up, in someone else's schemes, but as you. That's what you want."

"The thing inside you has revealed itself. The shell is gone, completely shattered, nowhere to be seen, and it's there, a dark shadow, resting. Your hands are sticky with something--human blood, by the look of it. You hold them out in front of you, but there's not enough light to see. It's far too dark. Both inside, and out."

Very interesting too in this chapter is the novel's separate story threads of Tamura and Nakata almost connecting at the Komura Library. As for Tamura, he's at the mountain cabin when Nakata arrives before the gated library; he's extending his safety zone away from the forest's clearing, taking an indistinct path into the nondescript "sea of ferns", feeling the danger, fear, and chills. He survives, goes to sleep and, what else, dreams.

Chapters 40-41.

Nakata and Hoshino are staying at Colonel Sanders's apartment, but are visiting the Komura Memorial Library on Tuesday. Nakata is looking for something and is not yet aware what it is. Hoshino chooses a music book to read and strikes up a conversation with the librarian Oshima about the effects of music.

"Do you think music has the power to change people? Like you listen to a piece and go through some major change inside...

The head librarian Miss Saeki takes Nakata and Hoshino on the regular weekly library tour.

The next chapter reverts to Kafka. He is in the deep forest, testing his comfort zone. Leaving the known path and clearing, the confusing rest of the forest initially raises his fear, so he's brought a plethora of useful tools. He however manages to remake himself into a "hollow man" without inside fear through Crow's wisdom and his own thinking. The effect of that enlightenment section, in which he tosses away his protective weapons, would seem to pose physical risks to Kafka, but
nothing harmful happens so far.

Oshima is not whom he seems from appearances.

Chapter 42-43.

Now begins the start of the story's conclusion, how characters' predicaments get resolved. Thus, there's a lot which this comment cannot reveal without spoilers except already known parts about memories.

Memory has been a unifying thread through the parallel stories of Miss Saeki, Nakata, and Kafka, though the 'entrance stone' also appears to connect the stories. Can the characters' past loss of love be recovered or restored? For example, the "theorizing black Crow" advises Kafka, who has been disturbed about his mother's leaving him in childhood.

"You can never put it back together like it was...Even though she loved you, she had to abandon you. You need to understand how she felt then, and learn to accept it. Understand the overpowering fear and anger she experienced, and feel it as your own--so you won't inherit it and repeat it. The main thing is this: You have to forgive her. That's not going to be easy, I know, but you have to do it. That's the only way you can be saved. There's no other way!"

After his conversation with Crow, a pair of runaway soldiers from the era of the Imperial army further guide him.

Chapters 44-45.

Hoshino and Nakata conscientiously burn Miss Saeki's writing files, acting per her request. Hoshino notes,

"A bit of shape and form has disappeared from the world, increasing the amount of nothingness."

Nakata accomplished everything he'd set out to do except to close the entrance stone. But, Nakata is too tired, falling asleep, crossing the other side of the divide.

Wondering what to do next and how to close the entrance stone, Hoshino decides to wait for an extraordinary event to activate the entrance stone, making it heavy and able to be opened or closed.

In Kafka's segment, he swiftly follows two Imperial soldiers through the entrance into the deepest part of the forest to an hamlet with electricity and with someone to take care of the cabin and dinner.

"I stand at the door and watch as she vanishes into the gloom. I'm alone again in the little cabin, inside a closed circle. Time isn't a factor here. Nobody here has a name. She'll be here as long as I need her. She's fifteen here. Eternally fifteen, I imagine. But what going to happen to me? Am I going to stay fifteen here? Is age, too, not a factor here?"

There are parallels with Nakata's segments re: rainless, gray clouds; entrance into the deepest part of a void, separate from the everyday; glinting of moonlight; inescapable sleep;...

Chapters 46 and The Boy Named Crow.

This time, Nakata doesn't wake up from his long sleep. So, Hoshino takes on Nakata's unfinished responsibilities with the mute stone. The stone is the silent 'listener' to Hoshino's contrition about his self-centered behavior with former girlfriends as well as to his enthusiastic comments about Beethoven's Archduke Trio. Like Nakata, Hoshino gently strokes and talks to the stone.

Between that chapter and 47, there is an unnumbered chapter with the same title, The Boy Named Crow, as the preface. The boy is a circling crow over the oceanic expanse of forest, flying down into a clearing where he perches across from the "formless soul" in limbo of an unnamed, silk-hatted, and sweat-suited figure. Johnnie Walker sits on a rock, planning to get rid of Crow by playing one of his many powerful flutes made of cats' souls, and boasts of his safety from the illusion which Crow is.

Chapters 47-49.

Having been guided by the pair of lost soldiers through the entrance, which led Kafka into a valley with a lovely hamlet, Kafka wakes up there the next morning, realizing that all reminders of memory are absent there; the passage of time through clocks, books, writing, morning birdsong are missing; while Miss Saeki's library contained reminders of the past in old artifacts and books and paid attention to the time of day and the days of the week. She appears to him in the hamlet, advising that he must go back before the entrance closes.

In the next chapter, the old black cat Toro tells Hoshino to "liquidate" an amorphous shape to prevent its entering the stone. Hoshino discovers what that shape is and accomplishes what Nakata had set out to do.

In the very last chapter, Oshima's brother, the surf shop owner Sada, drives Kafka away from the cabin to the Komura Library. They reveal to each other their experience with the pair of Imperial soldiers in the forest. Sada informs Kafka about surfing and people.

At the library, Kafka learns of Miss Saeki's death, though no one really had to tell him. He decides to return to Tokyo, bringing Miss Saeki's painting Kafka on the Shore and her recording of that song.

Good last lines:

"Look at the painting...And listen to the wind...You are part of a brand-new world."

I read this novel last year , it was haunting and page turner , yet I can't collect thoughts to write about it - even though I tried to follow some of the threads in here.

The only thing I am sure of that I wanted to read for Franz Kafka and then re-read it .

ND, imo, the characters Nakata and Kafka are alike and different, being connected in time and place but being separate in their identities. The opening and closing the entrance and the similar journeys from Tokyo to Takamatsu connect the two stories. The essence of the minor characters, too, are the same and different. Johnnie Walker, Miss Saeki, and Sakura give the impression that they are different versions of Kafka's father, mother, and sister. The alternating stories have many elements in common.

Next is Murakami's use of the name Kafka, recalling the German writer Franz Kafka.

"Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was an influential German-language writer of novels and short stories, regarded by leading critics as one of the greatest authors of the 20th century. The term "Kafkaesque" has entered the English language to describe surreal situations reminiscent of those in his writing, which has been associated with existentialism, expressionism, socialism and Marxism." (Wikipedia)

Miss Saeki's painting of 'Kafka on the Shore' depicts the solitariness of the boy and prompts her reverie. Other characters too are absorbed by their consciousness or subconsciousness. Nakata patiently attends to his next move; Hoshino confesses to a mute stone; Miss Saeki writes and writes; Kafka loves reading and enjoys the cabin's remoteness. Oshima's brother prefers his own thoughts to conversation, and Oshima works in a library which collects the memory of the past.

Kafka's entrance into the hamlet of no memories is a surrealistic dream minus the talking cats of Nakata's episodes. Kafka's awakening behind the shrine after four hours draws a blank; and the glossy bird Crow is his alter ego. Colonel Sanders possesses illogical, omniscient powers, and Hoshino completes the "one-in-a-million chance" to stop the amorphous shape from entering the open stone.

Those are ways the novel is surreal, is playing with the identity of the characters and evoking their consciousness, and is multiplying perceptions of the entrance and of other motifs.

What I can say Asma ? I think I need to study your post again and reread the novel , it deserves re-reading ...thanks :)

Nakata and Kafka were connected in less obvious ways than the similar path of their journeys and the killing/blood thing too. Did you notice that Nakata always had his thermos of tea and Kafka was always making tea while everyone else in the book seemed to prefer coffee? I got pretty far into the book before I even noticed that similarity.

Nile daughter wrote: "What I can say Asma ? I think I need to study your post again and reread the novel , it deserves re-reading ...thanks :)"

That is what Murakami suggested about KOTS.

"...the key to understanding the novel lies in reading it multiple times. This may sound self-serving, but it's true. I know people are busy and it depends, too, on whether they feel like doing it, but if you have the time, I suggest reading the novel more than once. Things should be clearer the second time around."

Julie wrote: "Nakata and Kafka were connected in less obvious ways than the similar path of their journeys and the killing/blood thing too. Did you notice that Nakata always had his thermos of tea and Kafka was ..."

Coffee or tea? Out of all the unexpected happenings in KOTS, the choice of beverage you could bet on. Oshima and Hoshino drank coffee; Nakata unwaveringly drank tea. Kafka more often than not drank tea. Did he not even once drink coffee? I was noting similarities among characters, and that trait caught my attention. Are you now drinking more tea?

I don't remember Kafka ever drinking coffee.
I am a tea drinker myself. His tea and books at the cabin sounded like heaven to me!

Your mentioning the cabin, Julie, reminds me that Kafka's stay at Oshima and Sada's cabin did him good, giving him the leeway to subdue his fears. Though Oshima cautioned Kafka about the forest, Kafka plows ahead on the narrowing path and fortunately finds the cabin. On his next trek, he takes equipment to mark the way, even giving up that precaution. On one of his last treks, he throws away his backback with his so-called necessities then meets the pair of guides, who show him the way to and from the entrance.

I'm nearing the end of the book and have yet to see a true connection between Kafka and Nakata's stories. It's probably not forthcoming. It seems to me that Nakata is being used by some higher power to assist in Miss Saeki's journey and as to what other purpose I'm not sure. It was mentioned that Nakata was the boy in the painting Kafka on the Shore.

Motheaten wrote: "...It seems to me that Nakata is being used by some higher power to assist in Miss Saeki's journey and as to what other purpose I'm not sure. It was mentioned that Nakata was the boy in the painting Kafka on the Shore. ..."

Chapter 42 of the novel explores the relationship between Miss Saeki and Nakata (Google preview). Miss Saeki long ago opened the entrance stone but that act proved unfortunate, she says. More recently Nakata and Hoshino also opened the stone. Besides Miss Saeki's and Nakata's actions with the stone, there's a long-distance spiritual communication between the two characters, which brings Nakata to Miss Saeki and Miss Saeki to expect Nakata to arrive. She's also aware of his reliable character, having a pact with him.

Here is someone else's interpretation of the link between body and spirit in the novel, starting with "...There's undoubtedly questions set up by the plot - the biggest one being, what constitutes a character, which extends to, who is who really? Understanding the duality of the characters helps justify their actions..."[more]".

Thanks for the link. The concept of duality of characters does explain a lot and I believe there's Shintoism involved but my knowledge of Buddhism, and Shintoism, is not deep so can't say exactly which part of the religion is put to play. From the review, "(Nakata and Miss Seiki) die when the entrance stone is closed" I thought they died while the entrance is still opened, hence allowing their spirits to pass over and Kafka to explore the spirit world. As for Nakata's spirit moving into Hoshino, I don't like the explanation because I think Hoshino has his own strength of character and role to play in the story, as Nakata's assistant and friend. So I think Hoshino temporarily took on Nakata's role, not his spirit, along with his spiritual power in order to close the entrance. This made a nice ending as, by the end of the story, Hoshino was the only friend Nakata really had, and even if only briefly, they were once linked spiritually.

You're welcome, Motheaten.

That blog posits a mostly cohesive interpretation about the surrealistic novel, it being unusual among the findings of the search.

Re: the blog, I question why Nakata borrowed Kafka's true, temporarily lost spirit and especially when did he borrow it? Nakata possessed an unusual spirit of his own with cats and shorter memory.

There's something Murakami is hinting to the reader about Nakata, which the accident distinguished by its unusual effect on him and which the teacher noticed about him even before the accident. He's a benign influence, his spirit is powerful, setting aright the disorder in a hypothetical world through the disorderliness of falling fish and other strange phenomena. He is a catalyst to get back together again bodies and their spirits of the "literal" world.

Miss Saeki is like a sprite of the spiritual woods, bringing the undying spirit of her lost lover to live properly there with her rather than to haunt the living world. She also is unusual, a trait Oshima points out to Kafka. She is knowledgeable about an entrance stone and is expecting Nakata through the means of telepathy. Her spirit is a fifteen-year-old girl rather than a middle-aged woman, and her mind and activities and her library is filled with memories of the past.

Like the novel A Pale View Of Hills, we read, this story is also more than is obvious.

Yes, the analysis is comprehensive. Even after I've finished reading the book I was still trying to find logical and practical explanations, but they couldn't fit well with the plot, obviously. Ah well, this is Murakami, so can only accept the spirit-body exchange. The books Kafka read were hints to this exchange, also something to do with self-will and underlying psychological state of the person. Thinking back it was actually fun following the puzzle.

The revelations in Chapter 42 bring together Kafka's, Nakata's, and Miss Saeki's individual stories at the Komura Memorial Library, when Nakata visits Miss Saeki. The chapter also reveals the purpose of the entrance stone, which involves those three characters' plots.

Miss Saeki's final request to Nakata indicates not only the possible harm to others from her autobiography but to also the meaninglessness of her life's experiences. In comparison with her perfect memories of her enclosed, fifteen-year-old's world, Miss Saeki's admission of her pointless existence thereafter meant that she unobtrusively, psychologically suffered in her life. By contrast, Hoshino's experiences with Nakata expand his zest for learning about life.

In Chapter 43, Kafka boils down Murakami's theme of identification between the subjective and the landscape:

"This forest is basically a part of me, isn't it? This thought takes hold at a certain point. The journey I'm taking is inside me. Just like blood ravels down veins, what I'm seeing is my inner self, and what seems threatening is just the echo of the fear in my own heart. The spiderweb stretched taut there is the spiderweb inside me. The birds calling out overhead are birds I've fostered in my mind. These images spring up in my mind and take root.

Some things are clear. The illogical events and the far-fetched coincidences lead up to some practical wisdom.

Chapter 45 through End of Book

Passing thoughts during these final chapters

The era of the cabin's decor in the valley community is Kafka's concept of a comfortable, childhood home with a mother who cooks meals for him;

The availability of books is important for learning about life, for life lived within your closed consciousness with you as its center is without meaning, i.e. "pointless";

The metaphor of talking to a stone is literally played out by Nakata and Hoshino who treat the the entrance stone as emotionally human;

The phrase in Ch47, "The most important thing about life here is that people let themselves be absorbed into things...
"Its like when you're in the forest, you become a seamless part of it. When you're in the rain, you're a part of the rain. When you're in the morning, you're a seamless part of the morning. When you're with me, you become a part of me."

The similar phrases in Ch49, "It's just one tear. It doesn't even feel like it's mine, more like part of the rain outside."

and

""...When you wake up you'll be part of a brand-new world."
You finally fall asleep. And when you wake up, it's true.
You are part of a brand-new world."

I don't know from which system of thought Murakami is taking this view of the self within the universe. This absorption with one's surroundings drives out alienating "anger" and "fear" and fills up the "hollow man".