Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew up… with normal intelligence. The son of a famous professor, Nakata was a promising young boy until a mysterious incident permanently damaged his mental abilities. However, the effects of the accident weren't all bad. While Nakata can no longer read or write, he's been able to talk to cats since age 9.
Living… in Tokyo, on a government subsidy. Now an old man, Nakata doesn't have much family left. But he's self-sufficient and too used to loneliness to mind living on his own.
Profession… cat finder. Using his ability to talk to cats, Nakata helps worried families find their missing pets. The pay isn't much, but Nakata enjoys the opportunity to help his neighbors.
Interests… cats, aiding others, and good food. For his pet-finding services, Nakata is often paid with everything from grilled eggplant to pickled cucumbers, all of which he declares "some of Nakata's favorites." Nakata's absolute favorite, however, would have to be eel: "Certain foods can take the place of others, but as far as I know, nothing can take the place of eel."
Relationship Status… single. By his own admission, Nakata has "never touched a woman," and now that he's nearing his 80s, he's not likely to start.
Challenge… stopping Johnnie Walker, a mysterious man with a sinister agenda. Nakata first meets Johnnie when searching for a lost tortoiseshell cat, Goma, and he's horrified by Johnnie's intention to kill cats and build a flute out of their souls. From cats, Johnnie plans to proceed to humans – and while Nakata kills him, Johnnie Walker's influence seems to extend beyond the grave. Now with the help of a trucker named Hoshino, Colonel Sanders, and his newfound control over the weather, Nakata must find a mysterious "entrance stone" before it's too late.
Personality… not particularly intelligent, but kind and humble. By his own admission, "Nakata's not very bright," but that doesn't stop him from being as nice and polite as he can to others. His supernatural abilities allow Nakata to help others, but he does wish he had the intelligence to control his powers: "I can make things rain from the sky, but most of the time I don't have any idea what I'm going to make rain next."
Get to Know him in...
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Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world's great storytellers at the peak of his powers.
