No. 1 bestseller at Kyobo Book Centre and YES24
Younger readers join Murakami's longtime fan base of readers in their 40s and 50s
Haruki Murakami's latest novel "Kaho" is dominating South Korea's bookstore charts, drawing not only the Japanese author's longtime middle-aged readership but also a wave of readers in their 20s and 30s.
According to the bookselling industry, "Kaho," published Oct. 21, topped Kyobo Book Centre's overall bestseller list for two consecutive weeks this week.
The novel also claimed the No. 1 spot on YES24's overall bestseller list this week. It first reached the top during pre-order sales in the first week of October, then held the position for three consecutive weeks from the third week of October — marking four weeks total at No. 1.
"Kaho" is Murakami's first full-length novel in three years. The book drew strong interest even before its release, with pre-order sales generating significant buzz that has carried over into sustained popularity since publication.
Readers in their 40s and 50s — Murakami's core fan base — are leading purchases, but younger readers in their 20s and 30s are also joining in.
According to Kyobo Book Centre, readers in their 40s accounted for the largest share of "Kaho" sales last week at 37.0 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 24.5 percent. Readers in their 50s made up 21.4 percent, while those in their 20s accounted for 10.4 percent.
At YES24, buyers in their 40s made up 39.4 percent of purchases on the day of release, with those in their 50s (23.8 percent) and 30s (19.4 percent) following close behind, reflecting broad appeal across readers in their 30s through 50s.
"The book is riding the wave of a literary boom that has been building among readers in their 20s and 30s," a Kyobo Book Centre official said.
"Kaho" explores Murakami's philosophy of storytelling through the character of Kaho, a picture-book author, examining the question of what makes a good story.
One passage captures the author's meditation on narrative: "So you inevitably become the center of that world. And so everything — the good, the bad, and what is neither — comes surging toward you. Look, even the anteater comes, the jaguar appears, the termite queen arrives. You are the one drawing them in. And from among all that rushes toward you, you must willingly accept some things and resolutely cast others aside. That is your duty as the protagonist — to discern what to take in and what to turn away, and to shape it all into a good story. That is your role."
The novel has also drawn attention as what Murakami has described as his first full-length work with a woman as the sole protagonist. On this, Murakami has said he found himself naturally immersed in the character as he wrote. The book showcases his signature style — a strange adventure unfolding alongside beings from another realm, in a world that moves between reality and the surreal, while rendering the details of everyday life with vivid precision.
pink@heraldcorp.com
