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Kafka on the Shore

I just reading this book. What are peoples interpretations of the different aspects of the book that are not fully explained like the sardines falling from the sky?
 
I like this book a lot. :)

It's quite a long time since I've read it, though, so I can't give an opinion on the sardines right now - I'd have to re-read it. 🙇‍♂️
 
I read almost all of Haruki Murakami's books. I find "Kafka on the Shore" the best - even better than "The Wind-up Bird Cronicle".
 
Just thought we had 864 loud groups in Japan.
I don't deny any groups who say something for their right, but no need to be loud.
I know it unfair to expect someone like Oshima-san to deal with them.
 
Has anyone here read Kafka on the Shore in the original Japanese? :? I was just wondering what kanji is used for the name Oshima. Because of "shima" being "island"... I wondered whether that was some symbolism in that name. Or maybe it's so obvious I shouldn't even have mentioned it... 😌
 
I read "kafka on the shore" in Japanese, confused by its complexity and many metaphoric things as well as excited. Like Tazzy, I also could not understand what sardines falling down mean. In Japan, cats love surdines as a stereotype. For this reason, it probablly is relative to the metaphor in "kafka on the shore."

By the way, I prefer "The Wind-up Bird Cronicle", because too attractive ( also sexual) women or girls are in "WBC" while they are not in "KOS". In discounting this, Haruki Murakami is one of the best author in Japan, you know.

I'm a lerner of English and please correct my writtings if there are some troubles.
 
@ Pipokun - cheers! :p

About the rain of fish... could it have religious symbolism, maybe? :? *has no clue*
 
I've read it, and thought it wasn't Murakami's greatest. It was an enjoyable read, but some things irked me. Like, some of the ideas were completely arbitrary, like the philosophy-quoting prostitute and Colonel Sanders as a pimp. It seemed like Murakami was either going "hey wouldn't this be really cool" or, as the rumor went, he solicited these random ideas from his students. neither one is very original, really. Sure, not everything needs to have a meaning, but I kept feeling these arbitrary ideas were done for coolness's sake.

But I enjoy Murakami's work overall. Looking forward to reading his next piece.
 
Kafka on the Shore comes close behind Wind Up Bird Chronicle for me.
I thoroughly enjoy being wrapped up in Murakamis world when I read his works, no matter how much is going on at any one time, and how bizarre a situation may seem, I never seem to get lost, and stay tuned to the surroundings through to the end.

I rather liked how he had common thoughts mixed with absolute nonsense. whether he borrowed them, or came up with them himself, he was the master who put it altogether, and it just tickles me pink when I see a new copy of his works.
I wish I had all my Murakami books here with me...
Blind Willow Sleeping Woman is a nice compilation of short stories too for those of you who like Murakami in shortened version.
 
Here comes Nakata-san in Hokkaido.
窶徒ナ?C窶慊ケツ・窶冦ツ渉ー窶敖シ窶懌?。窶堙俄?堋?窶堙ゥナステ寂?板「窶卍ャニ脱ニ暖ニ陳坂?堙固?Cナ?テ昶?堙?、窶佚・窶氾岩?堙姑探ニ停?愴筑窶堋ェ窶佚??堋ソツ湘」窶堋ー窶堙ァ窶堙ェ窶堙??堋「窶堙ゥ窶堙娯?堋ェナ陳ゥ窶堙や?堋ゥ窶堙≫?堋スツ。
Countless of sanma saury washed up on the shore in Shari town, Hokkaido.
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20061121-00000413-yom-soci

ニ探ニ停?愴筑窶堙債青カ窶堋ォ窶堋ス窶堙懌?堙懌?板、窶堙可湘」窶堋ェ窶堙≫?堙??卍オ窶堙銀?堙??堋「窶堋スツ。窶堋ア窶堙ア窶堙遺?堙俄?堋ス窶堋ュ窶堋ウ窶堙ア窶堙娯?ケ窶コ窶堋ェ窶佚??堋ソツ湘」窶堋ー窶堙ァ窶堙ェ窶堋ス窶堙娯?堙債鞘?ー窶堙溪?堙
A woman said she saw some fish alive and hopping about on the beach and that she'd never seen tons of washed up fish before.
 
Nakata-san in Seoul
ニ箪ニ脱ニ停?ケ窶堙?、窶ケ邃「窶ケテ??テ滅淡ナステ停?堋ェツ抗窶ケcニ断ニ停?壺?堙ーツ行窶堋「ツ、窶佚・窶氾岩?堙娯?ケ窶コ窶堙ーナ?X窶吮??窶堙??堙寂?堙ァ窶堙懌?堋ォ窶堙懌?堋オ窶堋スツ。
...
ツ青ュ窶「{窶堋ェ窶佚篠催エ窶堙可湘ヲ窶堙ィツ出窶堋ウ窶堙遺?堋「ナ津?窶堙ィツ、ツ債。ナ津」窶堙?2000ニ暖ニ停?懌?堙姑坦ニ知ニ歎ニ陳坂?堙ーニ箪ニ脱ニ停?ケナスs窶愿?窶堙??堙寂?堙ァ窶堙懌?堋ュ
Korean fishermen scattered tons of Konoshiro, Gizzard shad, in Seoul in protest against decreased price of the fish.
A fisherman said he was going to dump 2000 tons of fish again in the town without any proper policy by the government.
テレ朝news
Don't know where to the next.
 
I remember Oshima-san as a caracter from the book. S/he is something like a third gender - quite unique. But why does Japan need 864?


Oshima really is a likeable character.

It's been a while since I've read it, but someone refresh me: what's a 864?
 
Teachers Union directed "Refuse a survey on bullying"
窶徒窶ケツウ窶枠窶堙債、窶卍イツ債ク窶堙俄?ケツヲ窶氾坂?堋オ窶堙遺?堋ゥ窶堙≫?堋ス窶板昶?燃窶堙俄?堙や?堋「窶堙?、ツ「窶卍イツ債ク窶堙坂?戮ヒ?凪?堙娯?堙?窶堙娯?堙?、ツ絶?昶?堋ェヒ?ェツ人窶「テ?窶堋ォ窶堋キ窶堙ゥ窶堙娯?堋ェ窶「|窶堋ゥ窶堙≫?堋スツ。窶堋「窶堋カ窶堙溪?堙坂?ケツウツ職ヒ?オ窶堋ェ窶拂ヒ?ャ窶堋オ窶堙??ーテーナ塚??堋キ窶堙冷?堋ォ窶堙?窶堙娯?堙?考窶堋ヲ窶堙??堋「窶堙ゥツ」窶堙?彙窶堋オ窶堙??堋「窶堙ゥツ。
http://www.news24.jp/75969.html
The union member explains the reason for their uncooperative attitude,
"The survey itself is a voluntary one. And we feared only data on bullying prevails without good reason. We believe bullying is the issue which teachers and staffs should tackle".
The Hokkaido Teachers Union is one out of 864 where Oshima-san should be dispatched in Japan.
 
i really like Murakami... I've only read "Norweigan Wood," but it was wonderful, and I'm anxious to pick up some more of his novels.
 
Hi everyone! I am new to this forum and actually this is my first post here. I just could not stay away when Haruki Murakami's novels are discussed. I've read only Norvegian Wood but it was enough to fall in love with him. So far, Murakami was the only one who helped me to understand a little bit the japanesse people I am living among. Even this is my 4-th year in Japan they are still a mystery to me and.
I also like very much Yasushi Inoue. He wrote about love in such a delicate way that I've rarely encounted before. So far, in my view, only Nina Berberova equaled the Japanese writers I've read in what regards their magic abilities to let you enter a human life, a human heart. It's incredible how close, hermetically close they can be in real life and how wonderfull introspective they can write about the human heart.
Have enyone encountered any other fascinating Japanesse writer? Let's share... Please!
 
Erata

Hi again! It's late, english is not my native language and I've made a lot of mistakes... Excuse me and please read ..."how closed, how hermetically closed"......
What a deblorable debut I've made....
But still, don'd disregard my question. Please
 
Don't be silly; your English is terrific.

I haven't read enough Japanese literature yet to say whether I've found any particularly good authors yet, but I am hoping to read a book by Murakami sometime in the next few months.
 
How about Natsuo Kirino?
Some works of her are tranlated into English, though it is a bit unfortunte her book such as Grotesque was censored in the English version.
DC Madam is highly a controversial issue in the US, but I was surprised the women are well-educated. I am wondering if they wanted just money.

Anyways, it may be interesting to know what Rebecca Copeland, the tranlator of Grotesque, could not translate in English.
I assume it is young male prostitute in her book that was censored, but I know some women incl. Japanese buy boys in Asian countries.
 
Kafka on the Shore --- this book is special for me, because Takamatsu is my hometown. I really live in the city of the story. :)
When I walk in the city, I imagine that Kafka looks this scenery.
 
The book was ok but i was disappointed because so many people had recommended it to me.
I don't think it was too great. The characters were good though especially Oshima, Kafka and the truck driver. I only finished it last week.
Haven't read that many Murakami's - 'Norwegian Wood', 'Wild Sheep Chase' and someone bought me 'Wind-Up Bird' but I haven't read it yet.

So what are your thoughts on exactly what the place in the woods (with the soldiers) was meant to be? And why could Oshima's brother go in but not Oshima?

Sorry for double-posting but pipo-kun is Kirino the woman who wrote 'Out'? I've been meaning to read that. Yeah it's a shame that it's been censored you can't really get a feel of what a books really about that way.

i wonder what's been lost in translation with 'Kafka'?
 
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