Kafka on the Shore
By Haruki Murakami & Philip Gabriel
- Release Date: 2005-01-18
- Genre: Literary Fiction
Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and one of the world’s greatest storytellers comes “an insistently metaphysical mind-bender” (The New Yorker) about a teenager on the run and a deceptively simple old man.
Now with a new introduction by the author.
Here we meet fifteen-year-old runaway Kafka Tamura and the elderly Nakata, 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.
“As powerful as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.... Reading Murakami ... is a striking experience in consciousness expansion.”—Chicago Tribune
Reviews
Intriguing
5By sprojakIt’s believable and unbelievable and it kept me interested throughout the book. Loved the main characters.Im shook
5By alfredooviedoI will need years to process what I read. Thank you murakamiInteresting, Graphic, and Odd
3By Carolyn 0846So, funny story. I only started reading this book because I needed a novel to write an essay over for my AP lit class. Let’s just say I went in basically completely blind for what this book was about, and now I wish I did more research before choosing it as my novel. 🥲 The book is extremely interesting and bizarre. And very descriptive and occasionally graphic in some areas (I understand why my school library didn’t have this book on its shelves…) There are many themes in this book that it’s hard to know exactly what this book is trying to say. Maybe it’s trying to say how humans have an innate nature that they can’t shun away, or maybe it’s trying to say how concepts like love are bizarre at their core and truly have no physical concrete meaning. I honestly don’t know. 🤷♀️ Maybe that’s the entire point. Some things in life we just can’t understand, but we can still feel the meaning behind them. Anyway, this book was certainly a unique read. Not really into the sex scenes that show up occasionally, especially around the 60-70% mark. That was really off putting for me. 😭 If anyone reads this review (and honestly props to you for reading so far), if you like bizarre books with many themes and unique characters, then this might be the book for you. Just make sure to remember that the read will certainly be a unique one. ☝️A must read!
5By jco0114A wonderful and suspenseful story that keeps you thinking about the characters and story line long after you finish reading.Good
4By 濱畑はI enjoyed the twists and turns this story led me through. If you have read any of Haruki Murakami’s books you’ll not be surprised with where the story goes. I enjoyed reading it but I do feel like there is a lot of holes in the story and also the way he writes women is not nice to say the least.Stunning.
5By Baui F.This is the fourth book I’ve read by Haruki Murakami. One of the few authors I can somewhat digest and understand. I’m no literary genius but I can say this book is perfect, the surrealism and randomness is perfectly staged as you walk across the pages. The two paths made by two parties as they follow their own paths of fate is written just perfectly. Haruki Murakami can always deliver something beautiful.It’s perfect
5By TargantuanAbsolutely brilliant. I want everyone I know who’s is smart or spiritual in any sense to read it.Absolutely riveting
5By luke.salgadoThe slow but steady increase in character development is truly captivating and filled with gasconade. Every page gives the feeling of being in his world and story. So much so that I feel every emotion to the bone.Loved it
5By rebeccaejohnson This is one of the books that turned me into an avid reader.Bizarre, unique, and absolutely incredible
5By fun app 03I’m not a big fan of introspective reading— I like psychological works, but a lot of stuff gets too pretentious for me. While I do have my gripes with this book (namely the writing of women, which I think become obvious for most people after they’ve read it), this was a really incredible experience to read and it changed my perspective.Kafka Kafka Kafka
4By ishtathukuWonderful book which takes you on a wonderful journeyMy favorite book now
5By Othon GerardoThis book was so deep and hard to understand which is why I loved it so much. The book truly expressed itself in such an abstract metaphor.On the fence but I’m here for it.
4By toyrobroyI mean you know where is gonna go but you stilll go to be proven wrong but your not mad it went exactly where it was gonna go. Chill read some slow parts but worth it like a Sunday afternoonBoring and silly
2By Puss BompanseroI managed to force myself to get halfway through this book until finally admitting defeat. Just incredibly boringA page turner
5By Music Omnivore 2I never would have thought a Murakami novel could be a page turner. But this one is. My previous attempt at a Murakami novel was 1Q84. I was unable to finish that; at the two third mark, I just did not care what happens to the plot or the characters. This one is different. The arc of the main characters are super interesting. And the characters undergo change in an interesting fashion. Really fun.YES
5By AlathbaTHIS IS AMAZING AND AMAZING DOESNT DESCRIBE IT WELL.Wonderful!
5By DJTerThis is one of my favorite Murakami books. It's the second one I read and it's tough to put down. It does get a little confusing at times with so many subplots going on, but its a great story.Wow
4By wolfismadLoved his book. Thx!Wow
5By Katsy3g4If you're not used to Murakami's bizarre writing style, I think you'll either love this book or be lost. Murakami takes you through the stories of two individuals that are both searching for something quite important. It is truly an emotional, humanistic tale that takes you on quite a ride. I would highly recommend this book. It's fantastic.
