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Kafka on the Shore
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett, Oliver Le Sueur
- Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins
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Kafka on the Shore
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Kafka Tamura runs away from home at 15, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy.
The ageing 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.
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Critic reviews
"Wonderful.... Magical and outlandish." (Daily Mail)
"Cool, fluent and addictive." (Daily Telegraph)
"Hypnotic, spellbinding." (The Times)
What listeners say about Kafka on the Shore
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M.L
- 18-11-20
Incredible 🌠
I'm in love with this book. It was everything and more. I've felt every emotion to happiness, mesmerised, surprised, sadness,shocked , confused, amazed... so many more.
I can't wait to listen/read more of Haruki Murakami.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-02-22
Very interesting and unusual story
Took a lot of weird turns, even for a Murakami book. The narration was great! I loved the contrasts between the different characters. Though, I found myself more interested in Nakata's storyline than Kafka's
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- charoup
- 21-04-21
Not for me
I've read a few of Murakami's books a few years ago and I decided to give this one a try. At first, I did like it, especially one part of the story, the one with Nakata. Suddenly it was really unpleasant and annoying. I did finish it though, but it was really really hard for me.
People tend to defend Murakami claiming that "we don't get him". Well, I'm sorry to burst any bubbles here but the rape scenes in the book are not helping at all just by placing them as part of a dream and it seems like the author is trying to make us forget the fact that he describes rape scenes with empathy, just by adding Oedipus myth now and then.
Also, the author was going on and on about the 15-year-old boy's workout routine and we had to listen again and again to how he felt after all the sex. But hey, maybe that's just me and someone would like to listen to these things.
There are so many good books out there. So, no more Murakami for me, thank you.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mariana
- 19-03-21
Mesmerising story
The whole book read like a dream, it was captivating and I couldn't put it down. I only knock 1* for the unnecessary sexual details that at times made me uncomfortable to listen to.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simon Lane
- 26-04-22
Terrifying, foul, yet so beautiful
Definitely not for the faint of heart, but the brutality of this book is just a vehicle to deliver an important and valuable message, a message that is valuable if you are just entering the world or you were to die tomorrow. Amazing :,)
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 24-04-22
Great narration, great book
This is a beautiful book, beautifully written... The narration is also superb. I loved the experience...
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Morgan
- 05-12-22
Stunning!
Beautiful. Moving. Profound.
15 words? Nothing more required.
It really is. Beautiful, moving and profound.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angus
- 11-12-23
A mesmirizingly real dream
Beautifully written and read.
One is pulled into this dream and the characters and story are just too intriguing. An un-put downable tale of why life always has a little bit more excitement to offer and who is watching over us, why are we here and where are we going.....and what can a painting tell us.
Brilliant.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kazgriki
- 29-09-22
Wonderfully surreal
Talking cats, magic stones and a runaway teenager - some of the many wonderful oddities that make up this surreal story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mountainboy
- 16-05-24
Pitch perfect narration and storyline
Muriaki is such a master of character development and narrative. I love his combination of mundanity and magic realism. The pleasure of immersing yourself in Japanese culture never fades for me and having visited some of the locations featured in the book added a layer of joy in unlocking both my memories and imagination. Ready for my next murikami.
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