--- product_id: 79620542 title: "Kafka on the Shore" price: "£14.77" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79620542-kafka-on-the-shore store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Kafka on the Shore **Price:** £14.77 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Kafka on the Shore - **How much does it cost?** £14.77 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79620542-kafka-on-the-shore) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Kafka on the Shore follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Murakami's new novel is at once a classic tale of quest, but it is also a bold exploration of mythic and contemporary taboos, of patricide, of mother-love, of sister-love. Above all it is an entertainment of a very high order. Review: Highly recommended, you won't put it down - First of all, the gift edition hardcover is a stunning book which has fantastic art at the front. It is eye catching and has got several compliments by people. For the book itself, it is breathtakingly well written with an easy prose of writing. It makes the book spellbindingly hard to put down, you must resist the urge to finish it in one go unless you want to 😂. The way he writes, is easy to follow and read. It's not as dense as Norwegian Wood, perhaps because it is longer (500ish pages). It is still quite heavy in topics, intensity and themes. I loved the profoundness of the topics and story, although it won't be for everyone the themes can be overwhelming and very adult / mature. It's written in two perspectives where the chapters alternate between the two characters, which is an interesting take! The story was great and was my first surrealist book. It read well and the overall message was great. I'd reccomend it if you are willing to get past some adult themes and some unsavoury scenes (usually marukami stuff)! Review: My Mind Just Took a Journey - This was my first book from Haruki Murakami and though I was aware of the writer for some time I knew from what I’d read about him that his book were ones you had to work your way up to. His novels, from what I’d read, were not things to be lumped in with those we see in many of the best-of lists we see in literary publications and high brow newspapers. I personally think that this, I have to stress, is both true and a complement to the writer. I’ve read a lot recommended from high brow publications, I’ve read a lot of award winners, and very few of them were books that ever made me want to read another from the author in question. I’ve almost come to believe that a Booker prize, for instance, was a participation trophy rather than anything I should take seriously. Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore should never win any of these awards, not should it ever be on any lists of recommended novels. It has and it often is; but I think you get my point. Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore deserves better than to be lumped in with the high gloss trash that often inhabits these lists and ceremonies. There is something transcendant about Murakami’s work, something disturbing that niggles at the edges of the brain while symultaneously making the lips curl with laughter. This was the first thing that struck me about the work, in spite of its complexity and enigmatic nature, was how easy it was to read; how quickly the pages flew past and how much raw information sat in each and every line. I know that telling you what the story is about is ultimately self-defeating, but I guess I’ll have to at least try to give you something here. It begins with a young boy who calls himself Kafka and a journey he takes when he runs away from home. Kafka’s father, a renowned sculptor, has been murdered – initially we don’t known by whom – and at some point we know the police will be on Kafka’s trail. Kafka travels across Japan and finds himself at a small private library where he begins to spend his days. The world around him begins to shrink, and then expand in surprising ways until it warps enough to become alien, wonderous and frightening. Meanwhile in a tale told in alternating chapters we follow an old man with an affinity for cats who goes on his own quest and finally the two stories begin to entwine together like vines until you can’t tell them apart. Along the way we have talking cats and UFO’s, sinister governent projects and comatose patients. We also have ghosts and secret cities; and finally a strange fantastical rock that seems to tie it all together. It’s weird, yeah, and some might dismiss it as “just weird” but under the surface is a interconnected tapestry which makes it all very interesting. Who and what all the characters are is always in question, theres a common theme of disconnection that runs throughout the book where characters will change form, both physically and in spirit, or we will see a character from different points in thier lives… Did I mention time travel? ‘Cause theres a bit of that going on as well… So… Everything seems malleable and infinitely changing, and I’m certain that the next time I read the novel it won’t be the same book I read the first time. Alongside the constant change are other recurring themes, those of redemption, fate and how these two things can merge to make characters chase things both real and imagined. In spite of all its fantasy and surreal imagery theres something that struck me as very true floating amoungst all the lunacy. It struck a chord in me because its something I’ve been exploring myself in some of my own work; though admittedly I’ve not been doing it anywhere near as well. To me Kafka on the Shore argues that we are all changing, constantly and that the person we were yesterday was not the same person that woke up to this morning. I think it also argues, on some level at least, that our sins of the past may no longer belong to us and that it may not be right for the new us to hold on to such guilts. As for meaning I think the book will mean something different to whomever reads it. There’ll be similarities to what you might think its about and what I might, many similarities perhaps but as each thread of this tapestry connects to the next we would undoubtably see different connections and different results from the same raw material. Kafka on the Shore is like a thousand piece jigsaw that can be completed in multiple, perhaps infinite, ways; each way revealing a new journey that uses familiar themes and crossroads without being the same. In my view Haruki Murakami is incredibly lucky writer to manage this take, or – and this i far more likely – a truly gifted one. Once I’ve recovered and built up a little strength I’ll embark on one of his other journeys wrapped in paper; and to be honest I’m not sure if I’m hoping that the next one’ll be more involving or less. I’m not entirely sure my mind can handle another Kafka on the Shore any time soon. ## Features - Random House Export Editions ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 12,382 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 13 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books) 602 in Literary Fiction (Books) 607 in Fiction Classics (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 21,332 Reviews | ## Images ![Kafka on the Shore - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81tdbrewW0L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommended, you won't put it down *by K***M on 30 January 2026* First of all, the gift edition hardcover is a stunning book which has fantastic art at the front. It is eye catching and has got several compliments by people. For the book itself, it is breathtakingly well written with an easy prose of writing. It makes the book spellbindingly hard to put down, you must resist the urge to finish it in one go unless you want to 😂. The way he writes, is easy to follow and read. It's not as dense as Norwegian Wood, perhaps because it is longer (500ish pages). It is still quite heavy in topics, intensity and themes. I loved the profoundness of the topics and story, although it won't be for everyone the themes can be overwhelming and very adult / mature. It's written in two perspectives where the chapters alternate between the two characters, which is an interesting take! The story was great and was my first surrealist book. It read well and the overall message was great. I'd reccomend it if you are willing to get past some adult themes and some unsavoury scenes (usually marukami stuff)! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ My Mind Just Took a Journey *by N***S on 9 June 2022* This was my first book from Haruki Murakami and though I was aware of the writer for some time I knew from what I’d read about him that his book were ones you had to work your way up to. His novels, from what I’d read, were not things to be lumped in with those we see in many of the best-of lists we see in literary publications and high brow newspapers. I personally think that this, I have to stress, is both true and a complement to the writer. I’ve read a lot recommended from high brow publications, I’ve read a lot of award winners, and very few of them were books that ever made me want to read another from the author in question. I’ve almost come to believe that a Booker prize, for instance, was a participation trophy rather than anything I should take seriously. Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore should never win any of these awards, not should it ever be on any lists of recommended novels. It has and it often is; but I think you get my point. Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore deserves better than to be lumped in with the high gloss trash that often inhabits these lists and ceremonies. There is something transcendant about Murakami’s work, something disturbing that niggles at the edges of the brain while symultaneously making the lips curl with laughter. This was the first thing that struck me about the work, in spite of its complexity and enigmatic nature, was how easy it was to read; how quickly the pages flew past and how much raw information sat in each and every line. I know that telling you what the story is about is ultimately self-defeating, but I guess I’ll have to at least try to give you something here. It begins with a young boy who calls himself Kafka and a journey he takes when he runs away from home. Kafka’s father, a renowned sculptor, has been murdered – initially we don’t known by whom – and at some point we know the police will be on Kafka’s trail. Kafka travels across Japan and finds himself at a small private library where he begins to spend his days. The world around him begins to shrink, and then expand in surprising ways until it warps enough to become alien, wonderous and frightening. Meanwhile in a tale told in alternating chapters we follow an old man with an affinity for cats who goes on his own quest and finally the two stories begin to entwine together like vines until you can’t tell them apart. Along the way we have talking cats and UFO’s, sinister governent projects and comatose patients. We also have ghosts and secret cities; and finally a strange fantastical rock that seems to tie it all together. It’s weird, yeah, and some might dismiss it as “just weird” but under the surface is a interconnected tapestry which makes it all very interesting. Who and what all the characters are is always in question, theres a common theme of disconnection that runs throughout the book where characters will change form, both physically and in spirit, or we will see a character from different points in thier lives… Did I mention time travel? ‘Cause theres a bit of that going on as well… So… Everything seems malleable and infinitely changing, and I’m certain that the next time I read the novel it won’t be the same book I read the first time. Alongside the constant change are other recurring themes, those of redemption, fate and how these two things can merge to make characters chase things both real and imagined. In spite of all its fantasy and surreal imagery theres something that struck me as very true floating amoungst all the lunacy. It struck a chord in me because its something I’ve been exploring myself in some of my own work; though admittedly I’ve not been doing it anywhere near as well. To me Kafka on the Shore argues that we are all changing, constantly and that the person we were yesterday was not the same person that woke up to this morning. I think it also argues, on some level at least, that our sins of the past may no longer belong to us and that it may not be right for the new us to hold on to such guilts. As for meaning I think the book will mean something different to whomever reads it. There’ll be similarities to what you might think its about and what I might, many similarities perhaps but as each thread of this tapestry connects to the next we would undoubtably see different connections and different results from the same raw material. Kafka on the Shore is like a thousand piece jigsaw that can be completed in multiple, perhaps infinite, ways; each way revealing a new journey that uses familiar themes and crossroads without being the same. In my view Haruki Murakami is incredibly lucky writer to manage this take, or – and this i far more likely – a truly gifted one. Once I’ve recovered and built up a little strength I’ll embark on one of his other journeys wrapped in paper; and to be honest I’m not sure if I’m hoping that the next one’ll be more involving or less. I’m not entirely sure my mind can handle another Kafka on the Shore any time soon. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Just go with it - a very surreal Japanese novel. Loved it. *by K***A on 10 September 2012* Please note my review contains spoilers. I felt after reading this book it would have been helpful to know in some sense what was coming up. But if you're a reader who likes surprises (as I am not!) then please don't read it. A very strange, surreal book and a very interesting exploration of values, identity and accepting people for who they are. About a fifteen year old boy who runs away from home and establishes connections with other people at a library in the opposite side of Japan to where he has been brought up. He is on a quest though what he is searching for remains a mystery throughout the book. The most obvious things he is searching for are his mother and adopted sister who left when he was four. But he also seems to be searching for the meaning of life and to solidify his identity. He finds out that to be `the world's toughest fifteen year old' means to be able to open up your heart to life and love and to not be damaged in the process. Intertwined with his quest is a young lorry driver and Mr Nakata who is illiterate and due to a blackout when he was younger has lost the ability to form abstract concepts. He refers to himself often as not too bright, for the majority of the time he can however communicate with cats. They too have a quest that is to find the entrance stone, to open it and to close it again. The entrance stone seems to be the entrance to a mythical place, a place in between life and death for those people who are too tired to live but who also are not fully ready to die. Time has no meaning there and those people who are searching for something more to their life seem to end up there at some point. Once his father and his father's evil spirit have been forever destroyed, the boy named Kafka Tamura is able to go back home and resume his education. He goes back no longer feeling so alone and has established a firm connection with the library and the man he met there, Oshima. He also has found a family member, his sister, whom by coincidence also lives in Tokyo. Although still struggling over how to truly live, he takes solace in the painting which he found during his time at the library. He seems to be both the boy in the painting from decades before he was born and himself in the present moment. He will learn to live and love as the boy in the painting was able to and will continue his life cherishing his memory of Miss Saeki and the valuable lessons she taught him. Besides, he still has the boy named crow to turn to for advice if things go a bit pear-shaped. This is my attempt to make sense of an almost nonsensical, beautifully whimsical adventure-tale which has constant references to allegory and metaphor and which ends up pulling you inside a chaotically ordered sandstorm of words and meaning. ## Frequently Bought Together - Kafka on the Shore - Norwegian Wood: Discover Haruki Murakami’s most beloved novel - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Haruki Murakami --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79620542-kafka-on-the-shore](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79620542-kafka-on-the-shore) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-30*