Kafka on the Shore

I did it again.

I went into a bookstore. There was a book in the window with a cover that interested me, and I went in. I dropped $100 in that store this morning, and I hadn't intended to spend any money today. As a matter of fact, I've been trying to be conservative with the cashflow lately. But bookstores are my weakness.

Some women can't resist shoes. Or sales. Or highlights and manicures. I've pretty much given all that stuff up, but I can't give up the books. I've cut way back since my son was born, but I can't go cold turkey.

Anyway, this bookstore isn't like your mega-Barnes and Noble or Waldenbooks or whatever... it's a neighborhood store with clerks who like to read and talk about books. And the clerk today talked me into some books that I never would have brought home if it hadn't been for him. The one I started to read when I brought them home sounded from the clerk's description like it would be really surreal, but so far it's mesmerizing. It's called "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami. I've never read anything he wrote before, but I will definitely read more when I finish this one. It's about a mysterious (X-file like) event that happened 60 years ago, a 15-year-old runaway, and an old retarded man who can talk to cats. The event and the man and the boy are all linked, but so far it's unclear how. I don't want to put it down, but my son is going to need some attention now.
I'll let you know what I think when I finish it.