Kafka on the Shore (海辺のカフカ, Umibe no Kafuka) is a novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami (2002). Noted author John Updike described it as a "real page-turner, as well as an insistently metaphysical mind-bender." Since its 2005 English language release (2006 PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize-winning translation by Philip Gabriel), the novel has received consistently positive reviews and critical acclaim, including a spot on the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2005 and the World Fantasy Award.