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Kafka on the Shore cover art

Kafka on the Shore

Written by: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Sean Barrett, Oliver Le Sueur
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Publisher's Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Kafka Tamura runs away from home at 15, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy.

The ageing Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down.

As their parallel odysseys unravel, cats converse with people, fish tumble from the sky, a ghost-like pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night, a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since World War II. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle - one of many which combine to create an elegant and dreamlike masterpiece.

©2005 Haruki Murakami (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"Wonderful.... Magical and outlandish." (Daily Mail)

"Cool, fluent and addictive." (Daily Telegraph)

"Hypnotic, spellbinding." (The Times)

What listeners say about Kafka on the Shore

Average Customer Ratings
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Top.

The most beautiful thing about the book is that, that how the author merges multiple story to a perfect climatic conclusion.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A strange, self-indulgent and graphic novel.

It's a very weird story, at points annoying and sometimes even pretending to be something much smarter than it is, but it is grounding, in a strange way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

i love you, murakami!

this is the first murakami book im listening to but i already have 10 of his other books in my cart to buy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I don't know I'm at loss of words

this is the first murakami book I just couldn't put it down. although at some points it's gross but it amazing. there are so many things unexplained but you automatically assume those things and try to attach meaning deduced from the story itself. and at the end it left you to decide the ending. I like that.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A Writer's book

All of it is a metaphor.

No story progression as such but excellently written.

well narrated.

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    3 out of 5 stars

Nice book

the book has some fantastic writing and keeps you hooked in but the ending was bit predictable and not as interesting as the whole story line. overall its a good read

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Magical Realism on point

Kafka on the Shore is about self discovery and overcoming inner fears and tragedies metaphorically portrayed in the journey of Kafka and Nakata.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An unusual fiction!

So this book is not exactly the usual fantasy fiction I normally read, it's something entirely different.
Kafka on the Shore revolves around 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.

As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, 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.

The story unfolds without any agenda or destination, but you are tempted to go with the flow and you cannot resist it. This book left me astounded. I couldn't decide on what to feel after finishing it.

I would definitely love to indulge myself in more of Haruki's work to enjoy this magical realism he puts in the stories.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Magical and a bit problematic.

Murakami knows how to mess with your head..
there are some things I was worried about.some things I found problematic.otherwise it's a beautiful story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A novel like no other.

This novel is an experience that isn't like any other, for better or worse.

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