The Tale of Kaho, out in July, will be 16th novel by Japanese author who has faced criticism for portrayal of women
The Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami will publish his first novel to feature a woman as the main character this summer.
The Tale of Kaho will be published in Japan on 3 July, with an ebook edition released the same day. A UK edition has not yet been announced.
The 352-page novel centres on Kaho, a 26-year-old picture book author, and is based on a four-part series by the author originally published in the literary magazine Shincho between June 2024 and March 2026. The novel is a revised and expanded version. The first instalment, which was translated into English by Philip Gabriel, appeared in The New Yorker in 2024. The story begins with Kaho going on a blind date with a man who tells her: “I’ve dated all kinds of women in my life, but I have to say I’ve never seen one as ugly as you.”
The book follows Murakami’s novel The City and Its Uncertain Walls, which was published in 2024 in the UK. In October, Penguin will also publish Abandoning a Cat, an essay about his father, also translated by Gabriel.
