2006: Kafka On The Shore

This remarkable book tells the story of Kafka Tamura and Nakata. Kafka is a tough fifteen-year-old who, after running away from his father in Tokyo, begins a journey to a new life. He yearns to find his mother and sister who left when he was little, while at the same time he is inexorably, and unexplainably drawn to the island of Shikoku. Nakata is very different to Kafka. He is an old man who was injured during World War II. This injury left Nakata with a strange, and possibly useful gift: he can communicate with cats. The two characters are brought together as the mysteries behind Nakata's past, Kafka's family, and the history of a beautiful and tragic librarian, Ms. Saeki, are slowly revealed.Why it's on the listThe strengths of Kafka on the Shore lies in the wealth of characters that Murakami creates. They are all unique. Murakami creates them all distinctly, but binds them closer and closer together. It is the human connections in the book that help solve the mysteries of Kafka and Nakata. Even when these connections are not conventional, Murakami finds the beauty in these relationships.Kafka on the Shore is quite enigmatic, and the story is such an original tale with enormous seductive powers. It is a modern Oedipus story mixed with unexpected and surreal twists that build to a nail-biting climax.