Kafka on the Shore

图书标准信息

• 作者 Haruki Murakami（村上春树） 著
• 出版社 Oversea Publishing House
• 出版时间 2005-01
• 版次 1
• ISBN 9780307275264
• 定价 59.80元
• 装帧 平装
• 开本 其他
• 纸张 胶版纸
• 页数 489页
• 正文语种 英语
• 丛书 Vintage International

【内容简介】

Comprisingtwodistinctbutinterrelatedplots,thenarrativerunsbackandforthbetweenthetwo,takingupeachplotlineinalternatingchapters.

Theoddchapterstellthe15yearoldKafka'sstoryasherunsawayfromhisfather'shousetoescapeanOedipalcurseandtoembarkuponaquesttofindhismotherandsister.[4]Afteraseriesofadventures,hefindsshelterinaquiet,privatelibraryinTakamatsu,runbythedistantandaloofMissSaekiandtheintelligentandmorewelcomingOshima.TherehespendshisdaysreadingtheunabridgedRichardFrancisBurtontranslationofAThousandandOneNightsandthecollectedworksofNatsumeSōsekiuntilthepolicebegininquiringafterhiminconnectionwithabrutalmurder.

TheevenchapterstellNakata'sstory.Duetohisuncannyabilities,hehasfoundpart-timeworkinhisoldageasafinderoflostcats(aclearreferencetoTheWind-UpBirdChronicle).Thecaseofoneparticularlostcatputshimonapaththatultimatelytakeshimfarawayfromhishome,endingupontheroadforthefirsttimeinhislife.Hebefriendsatruck-drivernamedHoshino.Hoshinotakeshimonasapassengerinhistruckandsoonbecomesveryattachedtotheoldman.

NakataandKafkaareonacollisioncoursethroughoutthenovel,buttheirconvergencetakesplaceasmuchonametaphysicalplaneasitdoesinrealityand,infact,thatcanbesaidofthenovelitself.DuetotheOedipalthemerunningthroughmuchofthenovel,KafkaontheShorehasbeencalledamodernGreektragedy.

【作者简介】

MurakamiwasborninJapanduringthepost–WorldWarIIbabyboom.AlthoughborninKyoto,hespenthisyouthinShukugawa(Nishinomiya),AshiyaandKobe.HisfatherwasthesonofaBuddhistpriest,andhismotherthedaughterofanOsakamerchant.BothtaughtJapaneseliterature.

Sincechildhood,MurakamihasbeenheavilyinfluencedbyWesternculture,particularlyWesternmusicandliterature.HegrewupreadingarangeofworksbyAmericanwriters,suchasKurtVonnegutandRichardBrautigan,andheisoftendistinguishedfromotherJapanesewritersbyhisWesterninfluences.

MurakamistudieddramaatWasedaUniversityinTokyo,wherehemethiswife,Yoko.Hisfirstjobwasatarecordstore,whichiswhereoneofhismaincharacters,ToruWatanabeinNorwegianWood,works.Shortlybeforefinishinghisstudies,Murakamiopenedthecoffeehouse(jazzbar,intheevening)"PeterCat"inKokubunji,Tokyowithhiswife.Theyranthebarfrom1974until1981.

Manyofhisnovelshavethemesandtitlesthatinvokeclassicalmusic,suchasthethreebooksmakingupTheWind-UpBirdChronicle:TheThievingMagpie(afterRossini'soperaoverture),BirdasProphet(afterapianopiecebyRobertSchumannusuallyknowninEnglishasTheProphetBird),andTheBird-Catcher(acharacterinMozart'soperaTheMagicFlute).Someofhisnovelstaketheirtitlesfromsongs:Dance,Dance,Dance(afterTheDells'song,althoughitiswidelythoughtitwastitledaftertheBeachBoystune),NorwegianWood(afterTheBeatles'song)andSouthoftheBorder,WestoftheSun(thefirstpartbeingthetitleofasongbyNatKingCole).

Murakamiisakeenmarathonrunnerandtriathlete,althoughhedidnotstartrunninguntilhewas33yearsold.OnJune23,1996,hecompletedhisfirstultramarathon,a100-kilometerracearoundLakeSaromainHokkaido,Japan.Hediscusseshisrelationshipwithrunninginhis2008workWhatITalkAboutWhenITalkAboutRunning.