Murakami book with female lead

Tokyo: Japanese author Haruki Murakami will publish his first full-length novel in three years, titled ‘The Tale of KAHO’, on July 3. This release is significant as it features Murakami’s first lone female protagonist in a full-length novel. The story cent­res on Kaho, a 26-year-old picture book author who beco­m­es trapped in a bizarre world.

The novel originated from a short story that Murakami debuted at a reading event two years ago. Shinchosha Publishing Co confirmed on Thursday the new 352-page book weaves together four stories previously published in Shincho magazine, including The Anteater of Musashi-sakai and Kaho and the Termite Queen.

Kaho, described as a person of average intelligence and looks, begins encountering strange phenomena after a baffling encounter with a man during dinner. A promotional teaser for the book promises that the “Murakami world is in full force” as the protagonist searches for an exit from her surreal reality. —AP