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Kafka on the Shore Audiobook
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(4.00) - 71,454 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Kafka on the Shore was published in 2002 to wide acclaim. It has been awarded by The New York Times with placement on the 10 Best Books of 2005. The story has incited the public to ask many questions about its meaning, to which the author responded in multiple entries on his website for the novel.
In this novel, there are two distinct but interrelated plots, between which the narrative runs back and forth, each plot alternating by chapter. Every other chapter tells the story of Kafka, a teenager, who has run away from his father's home to avoid an Oedipal curse. On a quest to find his mother and sister he is entangled in a series of adventures, but eventually finds safety in a secluded library. He spends his days there reading a translation of A Thousand and One Nights, until police catch up with him in connection to a violent crime.
Intertwined is Nakata's story, that of an old man whose job is to find lost cats. One particular case puts him on a journey that leads him far from home, for the first time in his life. He becomes friends with a truck driver who later becomes very attached to him. Although it appears that Nakata and Kafka's stories might collide throughout the novel, their tales perhaps take place on a metaphysical plane rather than in reality. In fact, the author Murakami has said that there are multiple riddles contained in the novel that will arise with more than one reading.
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer and translator. He is considered an important personality in post-modern literature, though his work has often been criticized by the Japanese literary establishment.
"The sort of book I would (and probably need to) read again. The Chicago Tribune quote on the cover, that the book is "a striking experience in consciousness expansion" is accurate. For some reason, reading KOTS made me feel more warmly toward cats. "
— Scott (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
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 new novel has a similarly extraordinary scope and the same capacity to amaze, entertain, and bewitch the reader. 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.
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Awards
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A USA Today bestseller
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2005 New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book of the Year
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Winner of the 2006 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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A 2005 ALA Notable Book Finalist for Fiction
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A 2005 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Fiction
Kafka on the Shore Listener Reviews
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Mauro Lantzman, 8/18/2020
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" Ask me and I'll tell you I don't remember any of it. "
— Sauceboat, 2/18/2014 -
" Absorbing and weird but as usual unravelled towards the finish into loose ends aplenty! Got to love it though! "
— Tom, 2/4/2014 -
" In the end, I found myself finishing the book because I had begun the journey. It had hooked me enough to finish it, but not enough for me to necessarily enjoy the read. The questions of realities, shadows and the bending of time were interesting and played with expertly. In the end, there was a feeling as though a page was missing here and there that would have made the experience more pleasant. "
— Zac, 1/24/2014 -
" One of the best books I've encounter with. "
— Alice, 12/13/2013 -
" This is the most strange book I've ever read. It was a good read though , Kafka and the old guy kept me intrigued throughout the book.The ending keeping the track of the narration was good and surprising. All the characters seem profound and don't hesitate to articulate their thoughts. Would recommend to readeers interested in meatphysical , beyond the natural entities. "
— XXHaLxx, 12/13/2013 -
" After enjoying IQ84 so much I wanted to venture into more Murakami books. Although I enjoyed the characters in this book I felt that by the end I had a lot of unanswered questions and to be honest it didnt leave me wanting more. A good read but not as good as some of this other works. "
— Cat, 12/10/2013 -
" Just not a fan. This was my first HM novel and I found the story to have potential, but was left feeling disappointed. "
— Kathy, 11/15/2013 -
" very readable. Murakami's style of tousling metaphor and allegory is just so fine. "
— Kate, 8/28/2013 -
" Mind-blowing! Saya harus belajar banyak dari Murakami bagaimana cara membuat cerita gila dan seolah tak ada batas bagi imajinasi, tapi tetap bermakna dan jauh dari kesan pointless. One of my favorites! "
— Mahir, 11/26/2012 -
" Thanks to Alicen for introducing me to the worlds created by Haruki Murakami. A truly different book that I loved immersing myself into every night. "
— Leslie, 5/15/2012 -
" One of Murakami's better books. "
— Frida, 4/4/2012 -
" Probably my favourite book ever - certainly one of my eight desert island books, surreal and original you never know what is going to happen or where the book will lead and if you read it again you'll notice other things FANTASTIC! "
— Sonia, 3/27/2012 -
" A lot of symbolism in this book. It was written in an almost surreal style. I liked this book the least of all of his books I have read. I think the Wind-up Bird Chronicles is a better book. "
— Robert, 1/20/2012 -
" I enjoyed reading this strange and inventive novel and definitely want to read more Murakami. It's hard to deeply connect with the characters, but their oddness and fated circumstances drew me into their reality. "
— Suzanne, 1/7/2012 -
" His books are so weird and fascinating. I really enjoyed trying to puzzle out what was happening. Some aspects of the book, such as the main character's relationships with women were disturbing to me, but it was still worth reading. "
— Nina, 8/31/2011 -
" I appreciated the mini- tutorials about literature, classical music, Greek mythology, history, movies, and more. The overall plot and narrative were okay. The novel kept me busy and I'm very pleased to have finish another Murakami adventure. Now, on to his next book ; Norwegian Wood. "
— David, 8/25/2011 -
" Awesome. A true masterpiece of connections, depth and readability "
— Rebecca, 6/9/2011 -
" One of my fav. book of all time. Bold, absurd and romantic at the same time. The details are amazing. "
— Dessy, 5/23/2011 -
" Love Murakami, but disappointed here. "
— Nina, 5/23/2011 -
" I'm now a believer. Murakami is always better the second time around. I guess I was too young when I first read this book, 13 to be exact. "
— Kimchi, 5/23/2011 -
" This was a very strange book, but I really liked it! "
— Kathryn, 5/22/2011 -
" Stephanie recommended this book to me. I enjoyed it alot "
— Ses, 5/21/2011 -
" Murakami comes to us as one of the most talented contemporary authors. Through his eyes we see how the world of dreams, reality and these days society come together with no apparent conection... yet stories merge in a fantastic way... "
— Ana, 5/19/2011 -
" Murakami is an author that really puts you right into it. You feel like you're the one who is narrating the story. His use of coincidence really catches you off guard. An interesting take on the coming-of-age novel. "
— Sharee, 5/16/2011 -
" A bit pretentious and sometimes contrived, I still liked the magical realism in this Japanese popular novel.<br/> "
— Shawn, 5/15/2011 -
" A disappointing, strange mess of a book with an even more horrible ending. "
— Brittnee, 5/13/2011 -
" This was not my favourite of Murakami. But it's fantastically written, and very deep. Definitely a major facet in his writing. "
— Chris, 5/12/2011
About Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese author of fiction and nonfiction works. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage topping the New York Times bestsellers list in 2014. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages. Murakami is the recipient of numerous awards, including the World Fantasy Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the Franz Kafka Prize, and the Jerusalem Prize.
About the Narrators
Sean Barrett has won over twenty Earphones Awards and two prestigious Audie Awards for his audiobook narrations. He started acting professionally at the age of twelve and has since appeared on television and in film in Minder, Brush Strokes, War and Peace, Sons and Lovers, and Return to Oz. His stage credits include performing in the West End with Noël Coward in his Suite in Three Keys. He has worked extensively on BBC Radio and has also narrated several television series, including People’s Century and Crash.
Oliver Le Sueur graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2002. Since then he has, amongst other theater and television work, been a winner of the Carlton Hobbs award and appeared in a national Tour of The Tempest alongside Richard Briers. He performed the role of the Soldier in Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.