Brilliant novel in the magical realist style, enjoyed it greatly

This was an unusual listen. I really quite like it for a while: the man who could talk to cats and some of the other characters were quite engrossing. I just never quite felt I got the point, feeling perhaps a bit of a cultaural divide.

My first Murakami experience and the best book I have ever listened to!

This was the first time I read (listened) to Murakami. An interesting story with touches of the absurd, which was appropriate given that "Kafka" is in the title. I found it beautifully written but not over-the-top-literary. I'd recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of the absurd, who can just go with the story and not get stuck on whether it could really happen (hey, it's fiction!), and who enjoys a good turn of a phrase & insightful description.

The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars was one of the narrators. I thought one could have done a much better job (on occasion, I had a hard time knowing which character was speaking.) Other than that, I recommend it.

A difficult book, no doubt about it. I am still trying to understand what it was all about.
It reminded me a little of a Hayao Miyazaki movie, peopled with eccentric characters; a deep underlying mythology; (perhaps a Shinto/Buddist world view?) and multiple layers of meaning.
I felt that the themes were esoteric rather than philisophical. I may be wrong, but I think it was all about the nature of time and the machinery of existance, fate, meaning and resolution.
4 Stars because it was deeply affecting. The characters got under my skin, but it was not
light entertainment.I frequently took long breaks from my listening to catch a breath and settle my throbbing head.

I read this after reading Hardboiled Wonderland which I liked more in the end. Both of these novels are magical, though, and there's no question that Murakami has a vision of the world that grabs you and keeps you coming back. This one seemed a bit more calculating to me, but I think I'm in the minority and that most people prefer this to Hardboiled Wonderland.

The parts about Nakata talking to cats -- which all come early -- are stunning. He's a gentle and memorable character although I am not entirely comfortable either with Murakami's implied origin for him or with what he later becomes.

Those are small points, though, and I see a lot to love in the novel.

Kafka was a little bit of a conundrum for me. The plot was exciting and had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where things would go next. I was waiting with bated breath to see how the parallel story lines were going to collide. But there was a lot that was distracting. Some of the Dialogue, especially where Oshima is concerned, is very amateurish and hardly compelling. The know-it-all assertions he makes are not sufficiently intelligent or supported as to be satisfactory. The plot was rich enough without the rabbit hole conversations which, frankly, caused me to put down the book and only return to it for curiosity’s sake. I struggled with the obvious evidence of Murakumi’s mastery that was coexisted with some very clumsy choices. The parallel stories borrowed elements from each other, but often as an exercise in checking boxes. Kafka’s preoccupation with his private parts is something I could have done without.

All in all, I believe the book could have benefited from a good editing... which saddens me given how wonderful the storyline was.

I recommend this book to a patient reader.

If you are a Murakami lover, you know that this is not a simple, conventional story. It's a wonderful insight into his mind. I've read the book; however, the audio adds nuance and depth to the characters and story.

A lot of people get really excited about the work of Haruki Murakami. I can see why. Maybe if I were a generation or two younger I would get excited too. There are a lot of similar themes here to what is found in numerous anime series and manga. Cosmic forces, mysterious characters, magical realism, all leading up to some huge existential climax. But when have any of them ever delivered on that climax? Clearly, the way Murakami handles it must be satisfying to a lot of people. And Murakami clearly believes he is giving his readers more than enough material to work with. Don't get me wrong. I'm OK with a lot ambiguous endings and I don't expect authors to deliver the meaning of the universe on a silver platter. However, after a certain age, certain issues (like coming of age stuff) just don't have the same interest that they did earlier on. More than that, there were certain things that I expected to come together that just didn't. Key story lines that I expected to intersect never really did. Key characters that expected would eventually interact never did. Characters that I found the most interesting were left hanging in favor of other characters that I found a bit boring and superficial. Some storylines were left unnecessarily vague, IMHO. Still, the first 90% was sufficiently entertaining. Whether the ending will seem satisfying is up for debate.

IT gets under your skin no matter what.. I had mixed feelings while listening to it but I couldn't get it out of my head afterwords. And it keeps getting back to me.

The 'migration' of souls is a recurrent theme in Murakami and in this book it is very clear and beautifully put. The idea that we can help each other by 'receiving' their souls and doing something on their behalf, with their spirit in us is dramatic but very human and touching.

I loved all of them, as usual. Murakami's chaaracters are all special and rich, 'normal' and unique, universal and japanese all at once.. The readers are perfect for each voice.

Yes, as all of HM..

It is a pretty special book, even within the many I've read of Murakami. I wouldn't recomend it as a first book of the author, but it's a fantastic book.