Kafka on the Shore is a novel by Haruki Murakami (who btw. has a beautiful homepage with Random House). Like almost everything else he writes, it’s magical realism. Like everything I’ve read from him so far (which isn’t a lot, truth to be told), it’s wonderfully written, engaging, intelligent, but not too intellectual (too intellectual = reading it with a dictionary and an encyclopedia close by so you understand it), entertaining, interesting, outspoken, sexy, … Long story short, it’s everything you want a novel to be.
I really, really loved all the characters. There wasn’t one I thought was ill-conceived or not likeable.
It’s a book to read again and again. Perfect.
kalafudra's Stuff 
I liked “Naoko’s smile” it was a really sweet book :)
Not too intellectual, just nice to read. (“not too intellectual” – I just realized that you use this in exactly the same context *smile*). I was a little disappointed with his scandal book (I don’t know the English title, in German it was “Gefährliche Geliebte”) though.
PS: I’m going to Carinthia for a week (on Saturday) – give me a call if you want to have coffee with me before.
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@L:
well, he probably writes not too intellectual books :)
Probably Gefährliche Geliebte is Sputnik Sweetheart, but I’m not sure as I haven’t read it myself. Do you have it? Can I borrow?
I’m afraid you can’t as I don’t own it myself. Sorry.
PS: When I am bored, I watch videos on youtube. But at work this is probably not possible. :P
Yeah, it’s not possible – youtube is blocked as a whole. I can’t even watch youtube videos posted on a blog. Apart from the fact that it would be a bit awkward to do that at work. :)
@Kalafudra: Kafka on the Shore is on my to-read list. I enjoy Murakami; he’s the only Japanese author I’ve read though.
I’ve read A Wild Sheep Chase and Sputnik Sweetheart and I don’t really have favorite between the two because there were things I love and didn’t love so much in both.
I like his characters the most; I find them intriguing with their detachment and enforced loneliness. Brilliant, tormented people. The degree of westernization he brings out in them is sometimes confusing though…albeit reflective of Japanese westernization.
The writing is lovely and evocative. He makes a pretty engaging read, that’s a given.
I’ve read a couple of Japanes authors and I have to say I like Murakami best. (What surprised me though, was that sexuality was treated so openly. I always so Japanese as a rather closed and formal culture, but I guess in that case that’s a Western complex.)
Are his books that westernised? I actually haven’t thought about that at all. I didn’t notice while reading, in any case.