Kafka on the shore is a fantasy novel by Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami. It was originally published in Japanese in 2002. The novel received, New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year in 2005, and World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2006. The book was translated in English by Philip Gabriel.
Kafka on the Shore is the story of a 15 year old boy named Kafka Tamura. His real name is never disclosed in the book. Under the pseudonym of Kafka Tamura, he leaves his home on the day of his fifteenth birthday to escape from an old prophesy which said that he would commit incest with his mother and sister someday.
The book smoothly flows focusing on mystery, magical realism and developing desires of a teenager. The story provides a blur image of contemporary Japan. Two plots run separately from the beginning which coincides later to bring forth the hidden mysteries, providing the plot a new turn and giving the protagonist new responsibilities.
Kafka Tamura faces many unnatural challenges and deals with them all with his maturing mind. He runs to the city of Takamatsu where he gets refuge in an old library. There, he befriends Oshima, a librarian with whom he discusses all about himself. Miss Saeki in the library is a major concern for Kafka Tamura because she resembles his mother.
The other plot that runs along has an old man named Nakata, who can converse with cats. His way of speaking is different from other people and his sense of understanding things around him is quite weird. He has become like that because of a childhood incident that you can read in detail in the book.
A cat killer named Johnnie Walker makes old Nakata witness torture on cats while he was in search of a neighbouring cat. It makes him go extremely sorrowful and he commits a murder.
Overall, the book is a victor in making the readers keep turning pages till the last. It's a good long read having many gradual ups and downs in the story. It is one of the best books with young protagonist in genre of Magical realism.
Review by Asif Uzzaman
Kafka on the Shore is the story of a 15 year old boy named Kafka Tamura. His real name is never disclosed in the book. Under the pseudonym of Kafka Tamura, he leaves his home on the day of his fifteenth birthday to escape from an old prophesy which said that he would commit incest with his mother and sister someday.
The book smoothly flows focusing on mystery, magical realism and developing desires of a teenager. The story provides a blur image of contemporary Japan. Two plots run separately from the beginning which coincides later to bring forth the hidden mysteries, providing the plot a new turn and giving the protagonist new responsibilities.
Kafka Tamura faces many unnatural challenges and deals with them all with his maturing mind. He runs to the city of Takamatsu where he gets refuge in an old library. There, he befriends Oshima, a librarian with whom he discusses all about himself. Miss Saeki in the library is a major concern for Kafka Tamura because she resembles his mother.
The other plot that runs along has an old man named Nakata, who can converse with cats. His way of speaking is different from other people and his sense of understanding things around him is quite weird. He has become like that because of a childhood incident that you can read in detail in the book.
A cat killer named Johnnie Walker makes old Nakata witness torture on cats while he was in search of a neighbouring cat. It makes him go extremely sorrowful and he commits a murder.
Overall, the book is a victor in making the readers keep turning pages till the last. It's a good long read having many gradual ups and downs in the story. It is one of the best books with young protagonist in genre of Magical realism.
Review by Asif Uzzaman
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