The book: Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami

The edition: Vintage International paperback, English translation by Philip Gabriel

The story: too surreal to try to summarize it, I’ll just copy the cover blurb (and add something in blue type):

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 prophecy. The ageing Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction accident, finds his simple 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; ghosts and trademark characters are as real as real people; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both the victim and the killer is a riddle. Reality and myth cannot be taken apart.

My thoughts: I should definitely read reviews BEFORE deciding to read a book, not AFTER.
I basically decided to read this book because I saw Murakami’s name here and there and everywhere, and among his books this title was tickling me enough, not to speak of the kitten on the cover. And I quite liked the book: mesmerising it is, unputdownable even (oh my, I had to find a way to use this word, sooner or later…).
And while I would probably hate most of the characters if I met them face to face — you need to know their deepest motives to understand them and come to terms with them; I mean, take Kafka, for example: he’s a runaway, concentrated only on living on his own, never interested in making friends, always keeping people at bay… How could you like him, if you just met him on the street one day? — still I did care for all of them.
The problem is, I have a problem with open endings, while Murakami loves to leave many story threads open. Too bad. Also because, as it is, the only explication I can find is one that is awful enough.
Rating: 2.5/5.

What I liked: magical realism, Japanese-style. The magic you find in this book is completely different from, say Garcia Marquez, it’s more surreal and often gross. But interesting.
I also liked the whole library setting, which made me want to visit a place like that — no, wait, to work in there: can someone offer me Oshima’s job, please?

What I didn’t like: there were a few very gross/violent scenes I could have done without. And a few ideas I could have done without, too (all those ideas about why Kafka’s father was as awful as he was, for example, or all the fuss about the Oedipian myth).
There were features presented as part of the Japanese culture which didn’t sit well with me, including a kind of obsession with sex. I’ve encountered similar ideas elsewhere — namely that the Japanese attitude to relationships between males and females would open up ways of life that almost seem pervert to us in the West — but the Japanese people I met in person are not in the least like that, so I wonder if it’s all just a myth.
Oh, and did I say I don’t like open endings?

Read this if: if you want a different take on magical realism, or if you like that kind of book that offers a new, modern-era take on well-known, classic myth (see Ulysses, but also Mourning Becomes Electra).

Language notes: makes me want to learn Japanese, just to know how some puns are rendered. Namely, some expressions that are used by Nakata. Nakata is unable to read and, by his own definition, not smart. And in his talk you can read passages as this:

“Nakata’s father —  he passed away a long time ago — was a famous professor in a university. His speciality was something called theery of fine ants. I have two younger brothers, and they’re both very bright. One of them works at a company, and he’s a depart mint chief. My other brother works at a place called the minis tree of trade and indus tree. They both live in huge houses and eat eel. Nakata’s the only one that isn’t bright.”

Lovely.

Sidenotes: read for Orbis Terrarum Challenge, Japan.

L’ho intravisto stamattina partendo da Fiumicino e stasera scopro che ne ha già scritto Luisa Carrada: Oneworld uno dei grandi gruppi di compagnie aeree, offre Oneworld Travel Library, una raccolta di audiolibri da scaricare e ascoltare durante il viaggio.

Bell’idea.

(Peccato che sia aperta solo a chi viaggia attraverso uno di appena tre aeroporti, e portandosi dietro il computer, visto che non è possibile scaricarli in anticipo…)

The book: The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, by Selma Lagerlöf

The edition: Italian translation byFrancesco Saba Sardi (abridged version)

The story: Nils Holgersson is a young boy who, as the book begins, only likes to make mischief. One day, while at home alone, he sees a tomte (a kind of kobold or goblin) and, looking for a way to entertain himself, captures it. But the tomte has magical powers, and as a punishment transforms Nils in a tomte too, a small version of the boy he was, gifted with night vision and the ability to understand animals. Nils looks for help, but finds none from the farm animals. Worse still, one of the geese he should be looking after decides to fly away with the wild geese passing over the farm during the yearly migration. Nils tries to detain the goose, but only manages to get scooped up and carried away. There begins his wonderful adventure, following the migration of the geese above all of Sweden, meeting strange animals, friends and foes, forming his character into something new. At the end of the summer the geese fly back and Nils manages to get back home, where he will have to show that he has learned the value of friendship and that he has changed for the better, before the tomte brings him back to his normal self.

My thoughts: while I don’t usually read children books, and don’t usually like them when I do, I read this because it was recommended by someone special, and I am glad I did. A fable-like story, it was first devised as a geography book, i.e. to teach children the geography of Sweden in a new and fun way. As I don’t know anything about Sweden, it was hard to separate the various regions in my head (it may be better to keep a map of the country near while reading this book!). But I thoroughly enjoyed the adventures. Rating: 3/5.

What I liked: that Nils’ own adventures are not the whole book. There are many stories intertwined with his, and other narratives inserted here and there. And it all feels natural.

What I didn’t like: I found Nils’ change unbelievable: he starts off as a mischievous little boy and after just one day with the geese he seems to be the loveliest and dearest boy ever.

Read this if: if you like Aesop’s fables, or if you want a fresh look over Sweden.

Counts as: book #2 for the Orbis Terrarum Challenge.