Kafka on the Shore

Base rating: 5 stars
-1 star for how crude the book gets
-1 star for the totally inane decisions the characters make
+1 for the heart-warming and life-reaffirming ending
= 4 stars

Kafka on the Shore is a treatise on memories and how dangerous yet valuable they can be. It has so much wonderful wisdom hidden in the most unexpected of places. You have your standard Murakami elements in this book: talking cats, metaphysical occurrences, precocious and insightful characters, a winding yet satisfying plot.

I read books for two reasons: either for entertainment or for their thought-provoking/informative nature. Kafka on the Shore fulfills both these roles marvelously.