12 Problems Only Haruki Murakami Fans Will Understand

12. Talking To Cats (They Don't Talk Back)

Haruki Murakami Cat

Unlike Satoru Nakata €“ one of the characters in the brilliant Kafka On The Shore €“ it's not actually possible to talk to cats. Well, it's possible, just don't expect much of a response. But that doesn't mean Murakami fans won't try anyway.

Murakami has never been coy about his love for cats €“ they feature in the vast majority of his novels, sometimes in the middle of the action and sometimes as a sidelined presence of mystery. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, for instance, begins with the search for a missing cat. One of Murakami's more recent novels, 1Q84, features a story about a town full of cats. Fans of Murakami know what it's like to itch for an urban adventure €“ so why won't the cats talk back so we can just get going already?
Contributor
Contributor

Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.