Kafka on the Shore  (English, Paperback, Murakami Haruki)

Kafka On The Shore comprises of two distinct yet interrelated plots, with the narrative moving between both the plots, with each plotline narration done in alternate chapters.

Summary Of The Book

The odd chapters of Kafka On The Shore depict the story of 15-year-old Kafka as he leaves his father's house in search of his sister and mother, and also to escape from an Oedipal curse. Kafka comes across numerous adventures en route until he finds space in a library in Takamatsu. The library is owned by Miss Saeki and Oshima. He spends his time reading at the library when one fine day the police come searching for him.

The even chapters narrate Nakata's story. He works part-time as a locator of lost cats because of his uncanny talents. The search for one lost cat requires him to travel away from home. He ends up on road where he befriends a truck driver named Hoshino, who gives him a lift in his truck. Soon he becomes attached to Nakata.

Kafka and Nakata meet each other in the novel. However, when they meet each other it is not just in the physical sense but on a metaphysical level as well. As their odysseys unravel, fishes fall from the skies, and cats talk with people. The reader can find brutal killings, but the killer and victim’s identities remain unknown. The novel has several themes central to it, like the power of music, the connection between the subconscious, mind, and soul, the strength of nature, the influence of an old prophecy. All these combine to weave a dreamlike and elegant masterpiece. The Oedipal undercurrent running in the novel makes Kafka On The Shore the equivalent of a modern Greek tragedy.

Kafka On The Shore was named amongst the top 10 books of 2005 by The New York Times. It also won the World Fantasy Award.

About Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami is a best-selling Japanese author.

Murakami’s notable works include A Wild Sheep Chase, Norwegian Wood, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and 1Q84.

Murakami's fiction is frequently nihilistic and surrealistic, marked with a rendition of ideals of alienation and loneliness. He is regarded as a prominent name in postmodern literature.

Haruki Murakami was born in Japan on January 12, 1949. He studied drama at Waseda University, Tokyo, and initially worked at a record shop. He has even translated a large number of works in English to Japanese. His books on nonfiction and fiction have got numerous awards and critical acclaim, both internationally, and in Japan. He is a triathlete enthusiast and marathon runner. Murakami is married to Yoko.