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  • Reading Kafka on the Shore

  • A complex, intertwined narrative featuring two key players, Kafka on the Shore meanders back and forth between a 15-year-old Japanese runaway who calls himself Kafka and an elderly man, Nakata, who is "slow" due to an accident suffered in childhood. While each story is basically an entity into itsel ... Continue

    A complex, intertwined narrative featuring two key players, Kafka on the Shore meanders back and forth between a 15-year-old Japanese runaway who calls himself Kafka and an elderly man, Nakata, who is "slow" due to an accident suffered in childhood. While each story is basically an entity into itself, Kafka and Nakata are connected through a very significant incident that eventually leads them to the same city.

    Kafka sets on his path as he is hoping to avoid a fate his father has predicted. Never able to connect to the man, Kafka's opinion deteriorates when his father predicts he will be murdered by Kafka, and then Kafka will go on to sleep with his mother and sister. It all sounds a lot like any number of Greek tragedies, which is probably no mistake as Murakami references these throughout the book.

    Kafka ends up finding shelter at an unsual library, which becomes his home and refuge for a period. Meanwhile, Nakata is on his own path. Able to exist thanks to a government subsidy arranged by his family, Nakata earns a little money on the side by finding lost cats. He is able to do this because he is one of the few people - perhaps the only person - who can speak their language. His occupation eventually leads him to a man who calls himself Johnny Walker. Their encounter directly links him to Kafka, and puts Nakata on a quest of his own.

    Kafka on the Shore relies heavily on a variety of dream worlds, so that at times even the "real world" story has an ethereal feel to it. It's difficult to describe without revealing too much, but the book is quite entrancing.

    

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• ― moogle said on May 28, 2007 about the Hardcover edition| Add your feedback

• 1 of 1 person find this helpful

  • Kafka

  • Murakami at his best. I picked up this book by chance and absolutely loved it. It is the type of book once you start you can not put down but when you approach the end you read slowly because it was so much fun you don't want the ride to end. I read several of the reviews on the site and felt they p ... Continue

    Murakami at his best. I picked up this book by chance and absolutely loved it. It is the type of book once you start you can not put down but when you approach the end you read slowly because it was so much fun you don't want the ride to end. I read several of the reviews on the site and felt they provided an accurate synopsis of the plot and outline of the book. I can not imagine anyone NOT enjoying this book. It is wonderful on so many levels. I plan on reading it again in a few months. In an radio interview Murakami gave on NPR he spoke of the "hidden" references and clues in the book. I do think it is one of those rare books that is even better the second time around. I recently read Norwegian Wood which I also enjoyed very much and then picked up his latest book of 24 short stories. I was very disappointed in the book of short stories. I felt only four of five of the short stories were worthy of his talent.

    

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• ― Tfh182 said on Jul 1, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • Yes, it is Haruki again. Haruki's magic words traveling the time, unveiling the loneliness in this modern world and unearthing the gravitating fate entangling you and me.

    

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• ― Renewang said on May 11, 2008 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

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  • The book was wonderful. Strange, but additively wonderful. Although I was a bit at lost with the ending, the book was captivating as Murakami never fails to surprise.

    

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• ― coooo said on May 22, 2007 about the Paperback edition| Add your feedback

   村上春樹の『Kafka on the Shore』（原題『海辺のカフカ』）は『The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle』（原題『ねじまき鳥クロニクル』）と同様、どの点をとっても、壮大で無限な広がりを感じさせる小説だ。『ねじまき鳥』が、並々ならぬ意欲作で完成度の高い作品として世界中で絶賛され、その人気がいまだ衰えることをしらないことを考えると、この小説も長く読み続けられていくことになるだろう。

   この優れた新作小説も過去の作品と同じく、驚異的な拡張性と、読者を仰天させ、楽しませ、魅了する力をもっている。メタフィジカルな現実を描いたこの力作を動かすのは、2人の人物だ。1人は10代の少年、田村カフカ。彼は、オイディプス王と同じ恐ろしい予言（父親を殺し、母親と交わるだろうというもの）から逃れ、長い間行方の分からない母と姉を探すために家を出る。もう1人は、戦時中の苦悩から立ち直ることのできないナカタという頭の弱い老人。日常生活の基本的な営みさえ理解することができない彼は、理由も分からないまま、カフカの方に引き寄せられていく。2人の長い冒険は、読者にとっても当事者たちにとっても謎めいているが、生き生きとした共演者たちと夢のような出来事により、一貫して中味の濃いものになっている。たとえば、猫と人間の会話、ヘーゲルの言葉を引用する売春女を雇っている亡霊のような客引き、森をさまよう第2次世界大戦のころままの兵士、空から降ってくる魚の雨。犠牲者、加害者ともにその正体が謎に包まれている殺人事件。これについては、その他諸々のことがらと同様、最後に答えが見えてくる。カフカとナカタさんの絡みあった運命はしだいに明らかにされていき、1人は完全に自分の宿命から脱出し、もう1人は自力で新たなスタートを切ることになる。

   大傑作『Kafka on the Shore』は、世界が誇る真に偉大な作家のひとりである村上春樹の力量が、最高に発揮されている小説だ。

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• FictionForeignJapanJapanese fictionJapanese literatureMurakami HarukiMy favorites21st c.magical realismNovel