Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

Kafka Tamura is the most conflicted 15-year-old anyone could ever meet. Escaping his father and a dark Freudian prophecy, he runs away from his home in Tokyo, inexplicably drawn westwards to Shikoku. On his way he meets remarkable individuals, all of whom help him on his journey without intrusively questioning Kafka’s motives. Parallel to Kafka’s journey, we follow the elderly Nakata, a charming old man with a low appreciation for the complexities of life. As a child, Nakata suffered an accident, leaving him unable to read and write to deal with every day tasks, such as financial affairs. Like Kafka, Nakata meets extraordinary people who help him along the ...  Read the complete review

Kafka Tamura is a runaway fifteen year-old with a great deal on his conscience, not least a possible murder. That said, he's not sure who the victim was or how he may have done it. Nakata is an elderly gentleman who isn't so bright, although he can talk to cats, and tends not to be far away from strange goings-on whenever they occur. Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore relates the converging journeys these two characters must take as they try to make sense of their own places in the greater scheme of things and come to terms with their roles in the events which await them. Both characters are searching for something, although neither knows entirely what. ...  Read the complete review

I first came across Murakami months ago, advised by my partner I began reading. This is one of my favourite books by him. The story is unique, gripping and damn right weird! I've never read a book like it. Definitely a book for Murakami fans, or those who enjoy surrealism, it's not an easy read! And this certainly was not an easy thing to review! In fact, it has been my hardest so far, and I have put a good 3-4 hours into it! ---------- Murakami. Starting his life in Post-war Japan, 1949, Murakami grew up in Kobe with his parents, both of whom taught Japanese literature. In his early life he studied Drama at University and opened a jazz café ...  Read the complete review

Little did I know when I picked up this book in the new category section of my local library that my concept of “ a challenging read” was about to be tested to its limits? I’ve read many classical books in the past and over the years I’ve read a few translations of modern books into English, but until now I’ve never attempted one by a Japanese writer. This book is the latest in a long line of award-winning books by the author, Haruki Murakami. Translated into English by Philip Gabriel, an associate Professor of Japanese at the University of Arizona, “Kafka on the Shore” has already been nominated as one of the best books of 2005 by both the English and New York Times. ...  Read the complete review

My mum bough me this book for my birthday about 5 years ago, most probably because it has a cat on the cover. Since then i've read all of Murakami books available and this remains by far one of my favorites. The book consists of two main intertwining stories. That of 15 year old runaway, Kafka Tamura and elderly Nakata, who after an 'incident' which took place during his childhood, lost the ability to read and write, but gained the ability to talk to cats. Both characters decide, for one reason or another to leave the comforts of home to embark on remarkably different yet importantly related journys. Kafka wants to escape the opression he feels ...  Read the complete review