The Quarter-Life Reviews

Kafka on the Shore begins with 15 year old Kafka preparing to run away from home.  You have the sense that he’s running away from something, but whatever that thing is, it’s not clear.  He leaves home, travels across country and arrives at a privitely owned library.  He quickly befriends the librarian and her assistant and within a few days he finds himself living and working in the library.

The novel twists into a mysterious surrell journey as Kafka’s father turns up dead-mysteriously murdered by a mentally challenged elderly man.  Kafka’s and the old man’s life intertwines as both characters attempt to find meaning in the direction their lives have taken them.

It’s an excellent book, one that will surely leave you puzzled a few times-but worth the confusion by the end.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Secrets surround 1st Murakami novel in 5 years (cbc.ca)
• New Murakami novel a pre-release hit (nationalpost.com)
• Haruki Murakami’s new book: 1Q84 (hermenaut.org)