Haruki Murakami
514 pages
Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging 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. *PRE-ORDER HARUKI MURAKAMI’S NEW NOVEL, THE CITY AND ITS UNCERTAIN WALLS, NOW* 'Hypnotic, spellbinding' The Times 'Cool, fluent and addictive' Daily Telegraph ‘Addictive... Exhilarating... A pleasure’ Evening Standard
This book beautifully explores the idea of memories and lost opportunities, likening our minds to a library where we must continually refresh and revisit our experiences. It's a profound reflection on what it means to be alive.
Kafka on the Shore is definitely a unique read, but be prepared for some bizarre elements like weird sexual references and unsettling imagery, which might not be for everyone.