Kafka on the Shore

I finished this book by Haruki Murakami a few days ago. It was my first by this Japanese author. How do I describe it--surreal does not seem to come close. I waited to write this post because I wanted more time to ponder just what I read. The book is structured with two parallel story lines that eventually meet. The trip though is not what you would expect. We meet some very interesting characters including Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders. Leeches rain down from the sky and two World War II soldiers make an appearance. At its heart is seems to be a coming of age story. Also one of finding your soul mate. Throw in Sophocles's story of Oedipus and you can see this is not your average fiction novel. I do have one question though. Murakami is Japanese. So this book was translated into English. I can't help but wonder if the translation was able to fully capture the narrative flow and precision of Murakami's choice of language. This is always a concern with any translation. I felt some of the parts of the book were rather jarring. Was this a translation issue? He also threw in some explicit sex and one particularly gruesome scene. Many readers may be turned off by these things. I would recommend keep reading and look at the bigger picture. This is one though provoking book. I still am trying to come to grips with what I just read. And I think that is a good thing...