Kafka on the Shore

Kafka on the Shore is a novel by Haruki Murakami(2002). It is the story of a young boy and an old man whose life in compeletly different worlds intertwines as the novel unfolds. The novel contains similar themes found in his other works like The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Mystical events, Magic portals, talking cats, and mysterious characters link together two stories on alternating chapters, which allure to philosophy, metaphysics, mythology and jazz and American pop culture. The odd chapters tell the story of a young boy - Kafka Tamura - a runnaway who lives in a library, and on a quest to find his mother. The even chapters tell the story of Satoru Nakata, who in an unfortunate incident loses his entire memory and the ability to read. However, he finds that he is able to talk to cats, a recurring theme in Haruki Murakami novels. The story also is also graphic at times, and describes in detail some very disturbing scenes.