the portal

Kafka on the Shore tells the story of two characters, young Tamura who runs away from home at fifteen and the simple-minded Nakata who has never recovered from a strange accident in his childhood. Their parallel quests are filled with extraordinary characters and events: a murder riddle, raining fish, soldiers lost from WWII in a secret forest, conversations with cats; to create a novel that is completely engrossing. The novel leaves as many questions as it resolves and is highly recommended.