First published 2006
In a seaside town, a young boy named Kafka flees his family's dark prophecy. Meanwhile, Nakata, a simple man with an uncanny ability to talk to cats, crosses paths with Kafka. As their lives become entangled, they each confront the shadows of their pasts and the weight of their choices, while a mysterious woman waits for her long-lost lover. Murakami weaves a captivating tale of fate, identity, and the power of the unseen.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, fantasy, contemporary, magical-realism, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Japan, Ri Ben
Period: 20th Century, Xian Dai
436 pages · Hardcover · Knopf