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9781400079278
Overview
Overview
Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world's great storytellers at the peak of his powers. Here we meet a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who is on the run, and Nakata, an aging simpleton who is drawn to Kafka for reasons that he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, acclaimed author Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder, in what is a truly remarkable journey.
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Murakami, Haruki
- ISBN: 9781400079278
- Condition: New
- Dimensions: 8.04 x 1.08
- Number Of Pages: 480
- Publication Year: 2006
Customer Reviews
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A surrealistic coming of age story about talking cats and loss.
Robert Q. - 1 year 8 months agoFish fall from the sky here. Cats talk, flutes made of souls whistle out, and boys named Crow whisper evil into your heart. And while all of this happens, "Kafka on the Shore" bills itself, as does its reviews, as a metaphysical mind bender. This would imply that it is a book about metaphysics, about how people perceive and relate to the world around them. While there are lots of otherworldly, surreal elements at play in Murakami's novel, this book ultimately boils down to a very human story, about disparate, odd people understanding their place in life's wheel. While the above summary might not sound particularly thrilling, I found "Kafka on the Shore" to be an easy, engaging read, with a plot always whizzing forward like a Miata down the highway. It reminds me a lot of a Neil Gaiman novel, even something Stephen King might write- this is not some example of literary show-offism, of wildly experimental writing. The prose here in this book is simple, sparse, and direct. It works to the book's benefit too, since the plot itself is where things get a little strange. Good strange, however, which again, reminds of Neil Gaiman, the simple and bare-bones style he implanted in something like "American Gods". Again, if you're a Gaiman-head who hasn't dipped your feet in the stream Murakami swims in, you're doing yourself a big disfavor. While this is certainly a book of surreal, magic realism, this is also a book that boils down to a story of survival, of living through tragedy and trying your best to make sense of the world and your life on the other end of it. Give it a shot, you'll be glad you did.
HPB Staff Review -
An impressivement achievement by Murakami
Natalie S. - 2 years 1 month agoKafka on the Shore is one of my favorite novels by Murakami. He masterfully weaves seemingly diverse story-lines from multiple points of view into a larger picture that leaves you thinking about the world in ways you hadn't previously. Murakami's style is unique. I would describe it as a sort of surreal, magical realism. This story follows Kafka Tamura, a troubled young teen who runs away from home, and a wonderfully endearing elderly man named Nakata who, although being mentally challenged, possesses a few fantastic skills (the ability to speak to cats being my favorite). The major themes in this book are a bit clichd but are important nonetheless. You can't run from your problems; life must be dealt with. "Sometimes fate is like a small sandstorm that keeps changing directions. You change direction, but the sandstorm chases you. You turn again, but the storm adjusts. Over and over you play this out, like some ominous dance with death just before dawn."
HPB Staff Review -
This story is wild
Samantha C. - 2 years 6 months agoThis story is wild. Kafka Tamura is our main character and has run away from home. Nakata is a veteran whose mind has been permanently damaged by war. These two are inextricably drawn together and end up on a quest to solve several mysteries, but that doesn't even begin to cover the scope of this book. Without being campy or losing any of its gravitas, there are talking cats, fish falling from the sky and philosophical prostitutes. I can neither fully explain what this book is about, nor recommend it highly enough.
HPB Staff Review -
Full of humor, mystery, suspense, talking cats, ghosts, prophecy, and more
James S. - 4 years agoWell, there's an old man who talks to cats. What more need be said? This book was very strange, but in a good way. Murakami is usually described as "magical realism," and now that I've finished this, that description makes perfect sense. Without giving too much away, there's humor, mystery, suspense, possible incest, talking cats, ghosts, prophecy, and cameos by Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders. While I'm not sure I completely understood everything that happened, I certainly enjoyed the journey. The characters were interesting, well-rounded individuals, the plot was intriguing, and the writing itself had a filling, meaty quality. I'm curious to see what else Murakami has to offer!
HPB Staff Review -
The Weirdest Tale of Growing Up You'll Ever Read
Jeremy G. - 4 years 4 months agoAh, the classic coming of age story. A young boy disagrees with his father, and decides to strike out on his own. A man struggles to speak to people, and can speak to animals. A boy wakes up, covered in blood, with news reports of his father being dea... Wait, this doesn't sound typical! Haruki Murakami's masterpiece. A tale filled with twists, turns, love, sadness, and realizing that, unlike most coming of age stories, you can not run away from your problems. Murakami manages to masterfully weave together the lives of multiple individuals, past, present, and future, in a winding road of trials and tribulations. You'll feel the pain of youth, you'll laugh at the odd situations, and you'll sit and wonder: why is Murakami so obsessed with talking cats? An absolute masterwork. I recommend this to anyone who likes strange, slightly supernatural, modern day fiction. Come along with Kafka, and traverse the shores of life.
HPB Staff Review