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Kafka on the Shore

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Kafka on the Shore

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Sean Barrett, Oliver Le Sueur
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.

'Wonderful... Magical and outlandish' Daily Mail

'Hypnotic, spellbinding' The Times

'Cool, fluent and addictive' Daily Telegraph

© Haruki Marakami 2005 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Metaphysical & Visionary World Literature Fantasy Fiction Magic Cats

Critic Reviews

Wonderful... Magical and outlandish
A magnificently bewildering achievement... Brilliantly conceived, bold in its surreal scope, sexy and driven by a snappy plot... Exuberant storytelling
Cool, fluent and addictive
Hypnotic, spellbinding
Addictive... Exhilarating... A pleasure
Murakami's most addictive fix to date
Engrossing and wildly inventive
Laden with philosophical overtones and enchanting wit
Murakami's exquisitely simple prose and deft evocation of the surreal are captivating and sublime
The mysteries are never tainted by explanation, merely beautifully described, delivering a hypnotic read
All stars
Most relevant
A great listen- performances were soothing and captivating. The story was complicated and naturally you have to just accept that magical elements of the story you didn’t understand. The male gaze was employed throughout, however, which was uncomfortable considering it is a 21st century novel. The characters were convincing and the exploration of the mind and subconscious was tantalising. Conversations between the characters were great as well. Plot heavy but good writing- although at times slightly bland.

Loved the mystic realism, complex storyline. Male gaze

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Incredible story & outstanding performance. Especially loved the character Nakata... so beautiful & complex. My favourite novel by Murakami to date.

Outstanding!

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incredible and complex story, somewhat weird, but thought provoking. exceptional performance brought all characters alive.

Thought provoking

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Almost perfect. great prose, great story, great translation into English. easy to read/listen despite it's complexities and emotional content.

Murakami tour de force

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One of the most beautiful books i have ever read/ listened to. I feel like i need to sit in a corner and think about the book for hours!

This is what I call a great book

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