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Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore

Haruki MurakamiFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2002

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Book Brief

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Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2002
Book Details
Pages

480

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Japan • Contemporary

Theme
Publication Year

2002

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Kafka on the Shore follows the journey of Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old runaway who leaves Tokyo to escape a curse and finds refuge in a library in Takamatsu, where he encounters Oshima and Miss Saeki. Simultaneously, Nakata, an older man with unique abilities resulting from a childhood accident, embarks on a parallel quest that intersects with Kafka's fate, involving mystical events and introspective discoveries. Themes include violence and incest.

Mysterious

Contemplative

Melancholic

Fantastical

Reviews & Readership

4.3

510,634 ratings

79%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore melds surreal elements with a coming-of-age narrative, offering readers a rich, layered experience. Praised for its imaginative storytelling and profound themes, some find its ambiguity and complexity challenging. The novel's dreamlike quality captivates many, while a few readers feel disconnected from its abstract nature.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Kafka on the Shore?

A reader captivated by Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami likely enjoys surreal, thought-provoking narratives with rich, metaphysical undercurrents. Comparable to fans of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami himself, they appreciate complex characters and intertwining plotlines.

4.3

510,634 ratings

79%

Loved it

15%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

480

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Japan • Contemporary

Theme
Publication Year

2002

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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