Book Review: Kafka on the Shore

One of Murakami's best, for sure!  I read this book in two sittings, and it's almost 500 pages. I literally did not want to put this one down.

There are two parallel stories going on at once.  One of a young boy running away from his father's prophecy of Oedipal proportions, another of an old man on a mission, whose memory has been wiped clean during a bizarre WWII incident.  The old man can talk to cats.  The young boy sees ghosts, and travels to others' dreams in his own dreams.  Johnnie Walker (yup, as in whiskey) and The Colonel (from KFC) come to life.  The unbelievable becomes believable.

Murakami writes of the loneliness and isolation of human existence like no one else.  He truly connects with the collective unconscious.  Freud and Jung would have a field day interpreting his books.  There are parts of the book that are pretty twisted, but this story still has hope.

Here is Murakami's official website, it's very moody and fun to look at.  I still have 4 or 5 books of his left to read, I just ordered a bunch from the library.   Stay tuned!