Yes, if you are advanced and already read Japanese novels. This audiobook of Murakami's Kafka on the Shore runs long at native reading speed. It is good for stamina and literary listening, not for learners who still need help following a story.
- Level
- Advanced
- Format
- Audiobook
- Year
- 2022
- Episodes
- 1
Why it works for learners
Spoken-word fiction asks you to hold a long story in your head with no pictures to help, which is the next step up from drama. Murakami's sentences are clearer than many literary authors', yet the descriptive narration still gives you an unhurried model of written Japanese read aloud. Two parallel storylines mean frequent shifts in voice and setting. This edition comes in volumes, so you can treat the first part as a complete goal in itself.
What makes it hard
There is nothing visual to help when you miss a word, and references to music, literature and philosophy come up often. The strange events can leave you unsure whether you misheard or the plot is simply odd. Length demands real commitment.
How to use it
Read a chapter in print first, then listen to it. After a while, reverse the order: listen first, then check the text. Try chapters of one storyline at a time if you lose track, and listen in daily sessions of twenty to thirty minutes.
More for Japanese learners: our Japanese guides.
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