It is impossible to critique Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore without making comparisons to his other works of fiction, most notably, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Given the fact that critics and longtime fans already have a favorite Murakami novel, Kafka, the author's tenth, is judged as not quite measuring up and praised for exhibiting all the elements that make his books such a joy to read.

Some fault the novel's lack of resolution. David Mitchell of The Guardian (U.K.) wrote,

Unless I am being particularly dim-witted, loose ends remain far looser than in any Murakami novel to date…. The mythic motifs also remain frustratingly shady…. For Murakami devotees, this fantasy's loose ends will tantalize; to his admirers, they may invite flummoxed interpretation; but for the unconvinced, they will just dangle, rather ropily.

As if in answer to Mitchell's frustration, Matt Thorne of the Independent...