海辺のカフカ〈下〉

海辺のカフカ #2

by Haruki Murakami

15歳の誕生日に家を出た少年は、高松で「長いあいだ探し求めていた場所」と感じる私立図書館にたどり着く。館長の佐伯さんと手伝いの大島さんが運営するその図書館に、毎日のように通う少年。しかし8日目の夜、突然意識を失った少年は、神社の境内で血まみれになって倒れていることに気づく。一方、東京中野区で猫探しを仕事とする老人ナカタさんは、ある日、縦長の帽子をかぶり、長靴をはいた奇妙な男と出会う。第2次大戦中に起こった不可解な事件、「カラスと呼ばれる少年」、1枚の絵画と歌、殺人、少女の幽霊…。多元的で重層的に構築されていく物語たちはミステリアスに絡み合いながら、やがて高松へと収斂（しゅうれん）する。

かつて『アンダーグラウンド』でオウム真理教の破壊的な物語と対峙した村上春樹は、それに拮抗（きっこう）するだけの力をもつ物語の再興を自らの命題とした。その命題へのチャレンジといえるのが本書である。『世界の終りとハードボイルド・ワンダーランド』の内的世界と、『ねじまき鳥クロニクル』で追求した歴史と個の関係は、より深化し、子どもの夢と大人たちのつくりあげた現実の狭間にある迷宮のなかで、さ迷い、成長していくひとりの「少年」へと結実した。そして、ギリシャ悲劇における親子のあり様や、『源氏物語』に登場する生霊などの文学的モチーフが巧みに取り入れられたストーリーは、強力な吸引力をもって読者を離さない。

読み手は、ただ作品がもつ物語の力に身を任せていれば、多彩で奇妙なキャラクターたちや、息をもつかせぬ展開が、充実した読書体験を約束してくれる。そして読後、不思議な感動を味わい、涙を流すことになるだろう。多くの悲しい運命を背負った人たち、たくさんの「死の予感」が涙を誘うのではない。この物語のなかで、子どもから大人へと成長するにしたがい失ってきたものを発見するのだ。そうした自分にとって親密な記憶が、涙とともにとめどなくあふれてくる。（中島正敏）

Genres: Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novels, Magical Realism, Literature, Japan

432 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2002

About the author

Haruki Murakami (村上春樹) is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the World Fantasy Award, the Tanizaki Prize, Yomiuri Prize for Literature, the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, the Noma Literary Prize, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Kiriyama Prize for Fiction, the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction, the Jerusalem Prize, and the Princess of Asturias Awards.
Growing up in Ashiya, near Kobe before moving to Tokyo to attend Waseda University, he published his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1979) after working as the owner of a small jazz bar for seven years. His notable works include the novels Norwegian Wood (1987), The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994–95), Kafka on the Shore (2002) and 1Q84 (2009–10); the last was ranked as the best work of Japan's Heisei era (1989–2019) by the national newspaper Asahi Shimbun's survey of literary experts. His work spans genres including science fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, and has become known for his use of magical realist elements. His official website cites Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan as key inspirations to his work, while Murakami himself has named Kazuo Ishiguro, Cormac McCarthy and Dag Solstad as his favourite currently active writers. Murakami has also published five short story collections, including First Person Singular (2020), and non-fiction works including Underground (1997), an oral history of the Tokyo subway sarin attack, and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007), a memoir about his experience as a long distance runner.
His fiction has polarized literary critics and the reading public. He has sometimes been criticised by Japan's literary establishment as un-Japanese, leading to Murakami's recalling that he was a "black sheep in the Japanese literary world". Meanwhile, Murakami has been described by Gary Fisketjon, the editor of Murakami's collection The Elephant Vanishes (1993), as a "truly extraordinary writer", while Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as "among the world's greatest living novelists" for his oeuvre.

Reviews

[Konatsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

上巻の方でも書いたけど、本当に難しかった。図まで書いたのに結局最後まで誰が誰の体を通して誰になったのか…ナカタさんを通してカフカがお父さんを殺したことと、佐伯の死んだ恋人がカフカに生きているということ以外、他のキャラクターの繋がり方がわからなかった。そしてエッセイを書きながら、もしカフカの中に佐伯の恋人が再び生まれて生き続けたのなら、カフカが追い求めてたはずの、カフカの自己っていうのはどうなってしまったのかというのがわからなくなった。でも本当に面白かったし、何よりも文章の書き方が好きだった。そういえば私が最初に村上春樹好きになったのもこの文章の書き方だったなって思い出した。大学の先生が「村上の小説の中でも最も難しいといってもいい」って言ってたくらいだっただから、５つ星つけるのは多少抵抗があるんだけど、４つ星にはできないほどに奥深くて、ただただ面白かった。カフカのことがものすごく好きになった。

ハードボイルドワンダーランドと世界の終わりも割と好きで、その中の森で暮らす人たちのことが気になって続編を書くような感じで当初は書かれたみたいだけど、厳密にいえば続編というか、サイドストーリー、あるいはエピローグを一つの物語として展開した感じかな。森の中を思うがままに探索して迷ってみた感じ。テストもあったし若干斜め読みしてしまったのが惜しいくらいにともかく描写がすっと入ってきた。カズオイシグロの文章もよく美しいっていうけど、それとはまた違った感じ。生ぬるい感じもなく、かといって完全に突き放すような冷たさでもなく、ただ心地よく言葉が自分の中に浸透していく感じ。これも上巻の方の感想で書いたけど、私は特にカフカの自由について話すところが共感できて好きだった。私自身、今都心から離れた（といっても自転車で３０分くらいだけど）の森を抜けたところにある住宅街にいるから、森の中にいるときの、そしてどんどんどこか遠くへ連れて行かれているときのカフカの孤独、ため息が出るくらいの全身を包み込むような自由の感覚がすごく理解できた。

読み終わって、それで結局これはどういう話だっけ？って一瞬混乱するくらいには複雑だった。世界で一番タフな15歳というのはどういうことだったんだろうか、カラスと呼ばれる少年はカフカのalter-egoでないのであれば、一体誰なんだろうか。そういう最初から投げ込まれたことが最後まで解けずじまいだった。この長い冒険はそれこそ砂嵐だったんだろうけど、カラスが最初に言ってたように、果たしてこれでカフカが完全に砂嵐から解き放たれたのかもわからない。目が覚めて新しい世界の一部になったカフカのこれからはどういったものになるのかは想像せざるを得ないけど、本当に彼はいつか図書館に戻ってくるんだろうか。私はなんとなく、帰ってきてほしくないと思うし、もし本当に帰ったとしても、それは物理的に帰るというのとは違うような気がする。
でもこの本の中で一番大事なことは、少なくとも私にとってそれはカフカの底なしの強さにあると思う。確かに最初は逃げるように家を出たのかもしれないけど、多分どこかでカフカはいつかは家を出て、間接的にも想像の中だけでも、父親を殺し、母親とお姉さんを探しに行かないといけないとわかっていたように思う。彼の心を蝕むように住み着いていたこれらの要素を切り離して、新しい自分を自分の中で見つけてこれからも生きていけるように。直感的だったとしてもこの決断をできたカフカは私が知ってるどのストーリーの主人公の中でもかっこいいヒーローだったと思う。自分の中の底のまた底の、自分でもいつもはみないようにしていた洞窟のようなところに足を踏み入れてズンズン中に進んでいって、血を流すほどに自分の中身を抉りながら、そこに眠る、ギリシャ神話でいえば迷宮の中のミノタウロスを見つけ出し向き合う、そんなことができる人はそうそういない。血を流して壊した自分の内なる部分を、新たな血（母親の血、つまりは未知だった自分を作るもう片方の血）を取り組むことによって再建する。カフカはまだその再建を始めたばかりのところで物語は終わっていると思う。もしかしたらまた見事に崩されて大量の血を流すことになるかもしれないけど、もうカフカはそれに参ってしまうことはないと思うし、思いたい。

いつかまた時間を置いて読んだら違うものが見えてきそうで楽しみな作品。

[Taka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic--

I think I understood it better than the first time, but then by the end, I totally lost the thread of my interpretation. Murakami recommends us to read this more than once to "understand" it, so it really was good reading it again, this time in the original Japanese. I've realized I missed so much the first time around, specifically the world of "metaphors" Murakami creates and brings to life in his fictional world.

The story includes so many intellectual references that are not just frills but are relevant to the story: philosophy (Hegel, maybe a bit of Nietzsche), western literature (Sophocles, Shakespeare, Kafka), Japanese literature (The Tale of Genji, Tales of Moonlight and the Rain, Souseki Natsume), and others that seem to point toward "correct" solutions of the story.

Definitely an awesome read and my favorite Murakami work.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

English title: Kafka on the Shore

I liked that the tone of this novel was surreal. In terms of art, it was a combination of Renoir and Chagal. This was my First Murakami novel, and I'm glad I read this after Absolutely on Music. Absolutely on Music has given me some insights of him as a writer and it was a plus when reading this novel. All in all, I'm willing to read more his works. Now 1Q84...

[Shu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s my second time reading this book. It is truly like having a dream while reading: confused and a bit tiresome after half way through. The story refers some Greek mythologies, however, As far as I am concerned, those are quite remote to East Asians’ mentality: the destructive tendency to father( paternal authorities ) is very rare in East Asian cultures.
While concurrently reading Mr. Murakami ‘s travel essay book, which includes his stay in Greece（He’s stayed in Greece for one month in 1987),I just cannot help assuming he must be very interested in Greek civilization. And probably he had the idea of writing this book back then.

[Nagisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still don't like sex scenes in the book; I don't think Hoshino's sex with a prostitute and Tamura's incest are necessary in the story. Yet, Tamura's journey in pursuit of his self involves the imaginative, magnificent world that nobody could expect, that no other writer can create.
Honestly, I don't like young male characters, especially Tamura and Hoshino, who seem to me narcissistic in a way, more centered on self and own desires. But I enjoyed the story anyway.

[Adriana Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

卡夫卡離家出走，意外找到一家海邊的圖書館。意識殺了父親後住進圖書關，在夢裡現實中實現他父親送他的預言，可全都是假設。同時，因為進出過「那裡」而被掏空的中田先生因為一系列事件而開始找叫做入口的石頭的石頭。星野先生幫他找到並且打開了入口。打開後去送佐伯小姐一程，讓他與她能在「那裡」遇到，而中田也走了。星野一人殺了意識怪關了入口，最後卡夫卡回家，回到新的世界。

總之，就是一個少年離家出走的故事。

為什麼叫「海邊的卡夫卡」呢？

「不管怎麼樣，你，你的假設，是朝著相當遠的目標在投石的。你知道嗎？」
我點點頭。「我知道。不過只要通過隱喻，那距離就可以大為縮短了。」

「世界是隱喻。田村卡夫卡。」

「可是我還不知道人活著的意義。」我説
「看畫啊。」他説。「聽風的聲音。」

大部分沒有看懂, but the last quote always stops my heart for a second.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read two Murakami novels and both of them simply blew me away. He's just about my favorite author at this time. If you know of anyone writing stuff like this, I'd love to know about it.

[Lim Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

富强烈虚构色彩的奇幻诡诘的现代寓言。

两则故事分布在奇数、偶数章里，到最后有些交合。很另类的著作。

[Noa Kita · Rating 4 out of 5]

考察を読んで、ようやく消化。

伏線回収しない、とにかく考えさせる小説ってことでした。
世界は複雑で、人の気持ちはわからないし、思い通りにならないこともあるけど、とにかく考えて次に進んでいく。

にしても、この不思議すぎる世界観がスッと入ってくるのは文章のチカラなんだろう、すごい

[박은정 Park]

지금부터 백 년 뒤에는 여기 잇는 사람들은 모두 예외 없이(나를 포함해서) 지상에서 사라져, 먼지나 재가 되어버릴 수밖에 없을 것이다. 그렇게 생각하니 이상한 기분이 든다. 거기 있는 모든 사물이 허무한 환영처럼 보이기 시작한다. 바람에 날려 당장이라도 흩날려 없어질 것처럼 보인다. 나는 내 두 손을 펼치고 가만히 들여다본다. 나는 도대체 무엇 때문에 악착같이 이런 짓을 하고 있는 것일까? 왜 이렇게 필사적으로 살아가지 않으면 안 되는 것일까?
하지만 나는 고개를 흔들고 밖을 바라보는 것을 그만둔다. 백 년 뒤의 일을 생각하는 것을 그만둔다. 현재의 일만 생각하도록 한다. 도서관에는 읽어야 할 책이 있고 체육관에는 몸을 단련할 수 있는 기구가 있다. 그런데 백 년 뒤의 먼 미래를 생각한다고 해서 무슨 소용이 있겠는가.
"그래야지"라고 까마귀 소년이 말한다. "왜냐하면 너는 이 세상에서 가장 터프한 열다섯 살 소년이니까."

현재의 일만 생각하도록 한다.

행복은 한 종류밖에 없지만, 불행은 사람에 따라 천차만별이야.

항상 감사.

"사에키 상은 도대체 어떻게 느낄까요?"
오시마 상은 눈을 가늘게 뜨고 내 얼굴을 본다. "무엇에 대해?"
"그러니까...... 만일 두 번 다시 나와 만날 수 없다는 것을 알면, 지금 내가 느끼는 것과 같은 감정을 사에키 상도 나에 대해서 느껴줄까요?"
오시마 상은 미소 짓는다. "어째서 나한테 그런 걸 묻는 거지?"
"나는 전혀 모르겠어요. 그래서 오시마 상에게 묻는 거예요. 지금까지 이렇게 누군가를 좋아해 보거나 원해 본 경험이 없으니까. 그리고 지금까지 누군가가 나를 원했던 경험도 없으니까요."
"그래서 혼란스럽고, 어찌할 바를 모르겠단 말이지?"
나는 고개를 끄덕인다. "혼한스러워서 어떻게 해야 할지 모르겠어요."
"네가 상대에 대해 느끼는 것과 같은 강렬하고 순수한 감정을, 상대도 역시 너에 대해 갖고 있는지 아닌지, 넌 알 수가 없단 말인가?" 하고 오시마 상이 말한다.
나는 고개를 흔든다. "그걸 ���각하기 시작하면 몹시 괴로워져요."

제행무상의 관점에서 바라보면, 만물은 유전하니까. 사람의 마음도 마찬가지.
알 수 없다.

"요컨대 사랑을 한다는 건 그런 거야, 다무라 카프카 군. 숨이 멎을 만큼 황홀한 기분을 느끼는 것도 네 몫이고, 깊은 어둠 속에서 방황하는 것도 네 몫이지. 넌 자신의 몸과 마음으로 그것을 견뎌야 해."

세상에서 가장 터프한- 21살 소녀가 되어야 하니까. 까마귀 소녀가 말한다.

설사 그렇다 하더라도,
즉 네 선택이나 노력이 헛수고로 끝나도록
운명 지어져 있다 하더라도,
그래도 너는 조금도 어김없는 너인거고,
너 이외의 아무도 아닌거야.
너는 너로서 틀림없이 앞으로 전진하고 있어.
걱정하지 않아도 돼.

운명이니 숙명이니 하는 것들이 나의 선택을 가로막는다 하더라도, 내게는 전진만이 있을 뿐...!
운명은 모래폭풍이다. 내가 진로를 바꾸면 역시 진로를 바꾸어 나를 끊임없이 뒤쫓는 모래폭풍. 평생을 쫓기기 보다는 그 속으로 뛰어들어야 한다. 고요함을 만나고, 그 시련을 딛고 일어나는 것은 이미 예전의 내가 아니다.

메타포와 연상.

확실히 언어의 '연금술사'라는 하루키의 작품이다보니 읽어내려가다 보면 감탄하지 않을 수 없다. 하지만 나는 웬지- 그의 단편들이 더욱 마음에 든다. 한 책에 너무도 집요하게 많은 의미를 담아버린 이 책에서 일관성을 찾기란 그리 쉽지 않은 듯 하다.

[лазарусскйи · Rating 3 out of 5]

The eponymous Tamura Kafka may be only 15 years old, but he's actually the same disaffected thirtysomething protagonist we see in much of Murakami's fiction. He navigates the same absurd world, struggles with the same insecurities, and pursues the same process of self realization. The more this pattern repeats, the less intriguingly bizarre Murakami's world becomes.

Nonetheless, Murakami had a lot of interesting material in this novel, including a recasting of the Oedipus drama and a prolonged flirtation with the idea of the metaphor. But neither of these amounted to much more than quasi-intellectual pastiche. That is to say, where's the beef?

My decision to continue reading this 1,000 page whopper rested mainly on the substory concerning the adventures of Hoshino and Nakata -- the former a young, rough-talking truck driver; the latter a heartbreakingly polite old man who can't read or write, but can converse with cats and make leeches fall from the sky. It's the sort of writing that makes Murakami worthy of his reputation, not simply a drab rehashing of his previous themes.

[Ruru Ko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amazing fantastic story is like watching a dream intertwined with the reality world.

I loved the description of the tiny daily things,nothing special but interesting,you can image and feel every details just happened,very Murakami style.
The journey part of Nakata with Hoshino was lovely.

Incredible murders,cats talking,sex,across and disappeared. Also the character Johnny Walker and Harland David Sanders.
Special characteristics of every character are charming to me. Very unique.
You could find some parts of each characters they are so close to you. I felt really understanding the feelings and similar to them. Alone and tough.

There’re so many mysteries you kept reading and waiting for the results, but eventually you couldn’t find out the answers at all,just like almost Murakami novels. I think even I read it again and again,I’ll never understand the story. I really enjoyed this book a lot.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what my overall opinion is-- perhaps I'm still processing; maybe I need to read someone else's review... But it was definitely an inspired page-turner, and I was reveling in the story. I usually don't take myself to dinner or drinks alone, armed only with a book, and with this one I was... and then when it came time to wrap things up.. it got really freaking weird.. and then... anti-climactic. Maybe in retrospect I won't feel that way about it but for now I've got that definite feeling that I was being promised SOMETHING and it didn't entirely deliver. Murakami though, is still an amazing writer.

[Cinzia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old man that can talk to cats and a young boy with the maturity of an adult. The first one runs away from a shocking murder, the second from a disturbing prophecy. I don't know yet where it goes... but it enraptured my attention completely. Murakami is definitely one of the most interesting modern authors.

[Makiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

the american version of this book has a far better rating than the japanese version...i've never read murakami in english before, but i doubt his work improves upon translation...

reading "kafka," i realize that i find his books irresistable, but not really likable. i definitely do not like his characters.

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

it started off so well. curious and strange and funny. and then it spiraled down into this dense philosophical reflection that was much too dense and abstract for my liking. worth the read simply because it's so different, but hard.

[Houri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fantastic book. But if you're looking to get your socks knocked off by an ending to make the hours and hours of this long novel worth it, you'll be disappointed. Savor each page alone for what it is and you'll love it.

[Alvin Lo · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very abstract storyline, quite some words of wisdom, abundant sex scenes as usual. And with some rather persuasive language, it tells u "it's ok to quit ur life and die" -- so better not read it when u'r too down.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand the hype about this book, but if you read this at least you could say you stepped into Murakami-world. The plotline was everywhere, I had no idea where or how one plotline is connected to another, but maybe that's the charm about his books...

[Noah McMillen · Rating 4 out of 5]

この本、一通り好きでおすすめだと思うんだけど、言うべきことはたくさん変であまり好きじゃなかったところもある。筋の通らない点が多い。そういうことは村上の特色らしい。結局、この本は自分が誰かという質問に答えることと成長についての小説のような気がする。田村も星野も佐伯も大島も中田までも、といった人物はそういうことがあった。そして人生の成り行きを受諾しなくてはいけないというテーマもある。全体的に見れば、変は言うまでもなく、感動的な小説。

[Tracy]

And there's a part 2!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

what an amazingly creative book! kept my attention the whole way through and am now reading another of his books!

[Lisa Pasquale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thoroughly mesmerized by this book! I found it evocative and lyrical - much like the titular character, I felt as if dream and waking life were blurred and melded into one another.

[Jenny Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting read, chock full of mysticism, magic realism and philosophy.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have to admit I listened to this as an audio book, but was completely captivated. I admit to being a little bored with the ending though, it seemed to lose momentum and promise.

[hollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

so far...im enjoyin it...but it seems murakami has a few things he needs to discuss with a therapist...

[Andma52 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haruki Murakami is a fantastic writer, an excellent read. The first part of the book is exceptional.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

luminous sinous prose full of mystery, honesty and compassion

[Chelsea M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to review. It wasn't the kind of a book that I normally read, and some parts of it I didn't really "get", but overall I liked it.

[Morris Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

傑作！相當發人省思