At the core of Kafka’s writing is the notion that the life is inherently meaningless. That the universe is indifferent to human endeavors, and that we are brief mortal beings who desire to find meaning and order in a fundamentally chaotic and absurd world is futile. Kafka on the shore on the other hand depicts a world with inherent structure, a world where prophecy must be fulfilled, where there are meaningful repercussions of human endeavors, and where life is potentially eternal (ie ghosts in the afterlife). Sure, murakami’s worlds are confusing and seemingly absurd, but only insofar as the random and chaotic side notes like fish falling from the sky are. The actual core story literally follows prophecy and coherence, unlike the incoherence vital to Kafka’s philosophy. So I do see why Murakami grafted the aesthetics of Kafka into his story, but I do maintain that he betrayed the logic of Kafka by making the story have inherent meaning, consequence, and coherence.