Kafka on the Shore

By: Haruki Murakami

Narrated by: Sean Barrett, Oliver Le Sueur

With Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami gives us a novel every bit as ambitious and expansive as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which has been acclaimed both here and around the world for its uncommon ambition and achievement, and whose still-growing popularity suggests that it will be read and admired for decades to come.

This magnificent novel has a similarly extraordinary scope and the same capacity to amaze, entertain, and bewitch. A tour de force of metaphysical reality, it is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerizing events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbors soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and perpetrator a riddle - yet this, along with everything else, is eventually answered, just as the entwined destinies of Kafka and Nakata are gradually revealed, with one escaping his fate entirely and the other given a fresh start on his own.

Extravagant in its accomplishment, Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world's truly great storytellers at the height of his powers.

©2005 Haruki Murakami (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"As powerful as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.... Reading Murakami ... is a striking experience in consciousness expansion." ( The Chicago Tribune)

"An insistently metaphysical mind-bender." ( The New Yorker)

"If he has not achieved that status already, Haruki Murakami is on course to becoming the most widely read Japanese writer outside Japan, past or present." ( The New York Times)

A seemingly schizophrenic odyssey

I listened intently though the entire book, replaying when I missed things or needed clarification. The performances were fantastic and varied, and I was intrigued all the way through.

However, I found myself constantly wondering just what I was listening to... coming of age tale with taboo erotic undertones? Sci fi or alternate history novel? Alice-in-wonderland style head trip? Creature horror? Time travel, parallel universe, or occult fiction? Tragic tale of love lost? Or were all of these elements an intentional deconstruction of the medium itself? I still don't know.

Another solid Murakami tale

If you could sum up Kafka on the Shore in three words, what would they be?

Surreal, Metaphorical, Beautifully written

What was one of the most memorable moments of Kafka on the Shore?

Johnnie Walker, the cat killer, was my most memorable moment. The detail in the writing gives a horribly wonderful graphic account of a confusing and disturbing scene.

What does Sean Barrett and Oliver Le Sueur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They are both wonderful narrators. They bring a clarity to the words and a shape and texture to the story that I could never get by reading it myself. Their narration was absolutely critical to my enjoyment of the book.

If you could rename Kafka on the Shore, what would you call it?

A Man who Talks to Cats

Any additional comments?

As has been my experience with other Murakami books, much of the symbolism and motif's were hard for me to grasp, which leaves me with many questions once the book is finished. As usual with Murakami, the reader doesn't necessarily get a tangible closure.

Great performance!!!

I really liked the book and also bought it and could read with whisper sync though I always looked forward to hearing it, very well directed, the voices are right on! Loved it!

One of Murakami's Greats

I've been wanting to read this book for years now and I kept forgetting. This audiobook was my redemption and it was SPECTACULAR. 10/10

.

Cats, dreams, and self discovery. What more could you want from a Murakami work? Great for fans, but not the easiest entry point for those interested in Murakami. For those looking to get into Murakami, I started with Wild Sheep Chase and then went into 1q84.

One of the best

This book had everything. It was absurd at times, completely normal at other times, but I never got lost during the whole book. Narration was great, too. The readers really helped to keep things flowing.

interesting piece

It was a interesting piece that kept me listening but somehow I can't figure out if I liked it or not.

Enjoyed a lot, though got a little less interesting towards end

This was The first Murakami I've read. It was enjoyable. The ending petered out a bit.

Spectacular, unique, eloquent.

This was a book that kept me up for two nights straight. I have read it twice and even loved it more the second time. Beautifully written. Unique and unpredictable. Explores philosophical and metaphysical aspects of life. Refers to literature and art. Compassionate and heartwarming at times. Shows kindness toward animals. So many things that are impossible to put into words. Excellent narration.

Masterful story by Murakami

A coming-of-age, mystical realism masterpiece by Haruki Marukami. I’ve read several of Marukami’s novels, and I’m a huge fan. “Kafka on the Shore” was the best yet. It’s a dual, intertwining narrative featuring the 15-year-old protagonist, the self-named “Kafka” Tamura, and the not-so-bright senior Nakata who’s gifted with special powers, including the ability to speak with cats. I especially enjoyed Nakata’s unlikely partnership with the young truck driver Hoshino, who might’ve been my favorite character. What a long, strange trip “Kafka on the Shore” was. Masterfully imagined by Marukami. How’d he do it?