Kafka On The Shore

I am not too familiar with Japanese writers. But those whom I been lucky enough to pick up their books have given me countless hours of joyful reading.

There are two of them which I have become a follower of their works. Haruki Murakami's works are translated, while Kazuo Ishiguro writes in English.

I have completed reading the book Kafka On The Shore by Haruki recently. Just like his other works, the story is surreal but yet the reality setting makes it believable and we could identify with the characters. I came across it few years back but did not pick it up. Perhaps there is a time for everything, as this time I bought the book and it has given me hours of pleasurable reading. In fact I was so enthralled by it that I could hardly put it down even after past midnight.

The two lead characters in the book are a runaway teenager and an elderly subnormal man who is a tracker for lost cats. And behold, he could converse with cats. Some of their conversation is so humourous, how I wish I could do the same with my cat. There are many subplots within the story which are trilling...murder, third dimension, aliens ?......subconscious projection.....

Then there is Kazuo whose work Remains of the day has been made into a movie. But I prefer An Artist of the Floating World and A Pale View of Hills as they are richly immersed in Japanese culture. The only work by Kazuo which I did not enjoy was The Unconsoled. What a title, I too was unconsoled after reading it.