Morakami, the strange creature! What was that you wrote?
Kafka on the Shore was really excellent. This one was also good. Maybe even better than good. Maybe I should grow a little older and read it again and reconsider!
His works always seem to have a certain charm that draws people in. The stories are full of mystery and imagination, making it difficult to put them down.
I really like the way he describes the characters and the atmosphere. It's as if he can bring the story to life in front of your eyes.
Although I don't fully understand some of the deeper meanings in his works, I still enjoy reading them very much.
Maybe with more experience and knowledge, I will be able to understand his works better in the future.

Every time I read Murakami, I have the feeling that I am dreaming some crazy dream, although his books are much more than that.

The sense of loneliness that dominates this book, the individual who doesn't know where he belongs in the world and his search for meaning.

A beautiful mixture of sadness, isolation, and the pursuit.

Murakami's works have a unique charm that draws readers in and makes them lose themselves in his fictional worlds.

The characters he creates are complex and relatable, and their struggles and desires resonate with us on a deep level.

His writing style is both poetic and engaging, making it a pleasure to read.

Whether it's the strange and wonderful plots or the profound themes he explores, Murakami always manages to leave a lasting impression.

Reading his books is like embarking on a journey of self-discovery and exploration, and it's a journey that I always look forward to taking.

My first buddy reads with the awesome reading partner - Caro ;)

Kokia keista, išgalvota Avies pavidalo istorija, paskaninta netikėtomis detalėmis. It's such a strange, imagined story in the form of a sheep, filled with unexpected details. I don't even know to which genre this book should be assigned. Maybe it's a detective story? Or perhaps it's a magical tale close to absurd realism? Or is it still a journey of self-discovery? Maybe it could even be a love story or stories (I just don't know who loves more, the girl or the sheep :))

What's not in this book. Here you can find intimate encounters with an animal, inner struggles in the search for oneself, and unbelievable things are presented here so simply and daily that I, whether I want to or not, start to consider this book as magical realism :D

The whole story begins very realistically and in a familiar, Murakami style: The main character lives his boring, gray life, gradually recovering after emotional experiences. And voila, suddenly, the wonderful ears "enter" the scene (we are asked to choose according to our desires/fantasies/needs :D)

With a wink ;)

And then there's a mysterious, cold-eyed ala gangster, giving the story a thriller flavor and introducing us to the essence of this book - the sheep, sorry, the super sheep!

And here begins the intense sheep hunt!

This hunt symbolizes many things, first of all, the search for one's true path, the test of love, the lesson of survival, the finding of a precious friend, the absurdity of life. Each of us is looking for our own sheep ;)

Everywhere in this book, it's filled with sheep:

The human sheep

The professor sheep

And of course, the ordinary sheep in the fields

(by the way, maybe your life's sheep is hidden here? Good luck in the search!)

This book offers a familiar (from other H. Murakami books) escape from the grayness of life through a journey in search of a mysterious thing - one's own Holy Grail. But as always - the real miracles are hidden where everything is simple - namely in the Sheep ;D Even the main character is a bit like a sheep - he is a passive observer, avoiding changes. His transformation happens gradually, and when the Sheep of Life is just within reach - everything turns 360 degrees.

H. Murakami is a perfect guide in this amazing, wild sheep hunt.

"In Search of the Fantastic Sheep" by Haruki Murakami is a novel that may seem like a strange read at first glance. However, it contains a profound philosophical idea. Murakami provides answers here to the eternal Hamletian questions. This search for the fantastic sheep is actually the search for the meaning of life or the self.

With a remarkable meticulousness, the author dissects human nature into four parts, its substrates. The emphasis is placed here on emotions and feelings. Only after you finish the book do you realize that you know nothing about the physical appearance of the central character, not even his name; yet you know his emotional side so well. You even reach a point where you discover yourself in the figure of the central narrator.

One of the central messages of the novel is: appreciate what you have!

The denouement comes to convince us of the fact that, like animals led by instincts, we humans are also led by our own weaknesses.

Weakness eats away at us from within, like a cancer... In the end, that's human weakness, like an inherited disease. Even if you are aware of it, you are powerless to fight it. And it doesn't disappear with the snap of your fingers, and it gets worse as time passes.

Mediocrity began when humanity separated the means of production from daily life.

We, humans, can drift along the shores of chance as we please, like seeds carried on the wings of the spring wind.

Each woman is like a chest of drawers, a chest of drawers filled with a一堆 of meaningless trifles.

Time flows continuously, no matter what we do. We cut it into small pieces according to our measure and feed on illusions, but they surely continue.

Was this a good book?

Hell yes.

Was this Murakami's best?

No, but he does hold high standards for himself.

Did I enjoy it?

Absolutely.

Was I confused since I read the third in this series first?

Definitely, but it's Murakami so it might have been more confusing had I known the backstories.

Do I remember any of the plot?

Nope.

Was the man dressed as a sheep/sheep man scary?

Yeeep.

Would I recommend this book?

Definitely. I loved it. Can't remember why, or how, but it was good. 11/10 would read again.

The book in question has a certain allure that keeps drawing readers in. Despite not being Murakami's absolute best, it still manages to captivate with its unique charm. The confusion that comes from reading out of order is part of the Murakami experience. And even though the plot details may have faded from memory, the overall impression of the book remains positive. The image of the man dressed as a sheep/sheep man adds an element of mystery and perhaps a touch of scariness. Overall, this is a book that I would highly recommend, even if I can't quite put my finger on exactly why it was so good.

2021 edit: The full backstory behind this review is that I had been a sleep-deprived university student reading books from the library in a study cubicle instead of studying. Maybe it was my monkey brain at the time, but I genuinely don't know how much I would enjoy this now.

Courtesy of Jen's mini reviews

My friend will be highly disappointed in me for this. He has been lending me all of Murakami's books one by one. (I will be 100% taking a break after this one.) However, this is a DNF (Did Not Finish) for me.

This isn't like "Kafka on the Shore" where I hated it. This is just a lack of interest on my part. To be quite frank, I don't have any desire to make the effort to finish the 2/3 that I had left.

I do not think Murakami's magical realism and I are meant to be. I love his stories about nothing with in-depth character studies. But when it comes to his plots, I don't mesh well.

Well, I guess it will make a fun topic of discussion with my friend. We can talk about our different opinions on Murakami's works and why I couldn't finish this particular book. Maybe he'll have some insights or perspectives that I haven't considered before. It'll be interesting to hear what he has to say.

Even though I didn't finish this book, I still appreciate Murakami's writing style and his ability to create unique and engaging characters. I'll probably give some of his other books a try in the future, but for now, I'm content with my decision to DNF this one.

A Roller Coaster of a Reading Experience

This book is truly a roller coaster ride. As it's rather difficult to describe and others have already done a great job at it, I'll focus on how it made me feel while reading. It's an unorthodox way to review a book, but perhaps not for a work that combines magical realism, mystery, philosophy, sex, drinks, rock and roll, and of course, the ever-present sheep. In this book, you never learn the names of the characters, and yet it really doesn't matter. At times, it's all excitement and thrills, with a sense of "wheeeeeeeee", and then it suddenly drops with an "ooooof". There are more "wheeeeee" moments and "oooooof" surprises, along with some "whooooaaaa" and "wooohoooo" twists. You just have to put your hands up and surrender to the fun of this structured chaos. I didn't understand every single aspect of this book, but I loved it all the same. And just like how I feel when I get off a roller coaster, I immediately wanted to go again. That's precisely why I'm now reading the sequel, "Dance Dance Dance." It's like a continuation of the thrilling ride that I'm eager to embark on once more.

Watch out for the Sheep!

Story 4/5
Narration 5/5. The narrator in this story is truly excellent!
Haruki Murakami's stories are always so captivating and strange, and I have an absolute love for them. His writing style is always flawless, and every time I finish one of his books, my brain is in a state of pure ecstasy.
A Wild Sheep Chase is no different when it comes to my opinion of Haruki Murakami's works. I must admit that I didn't understand every single aspect of it. There are numerous metaphors throughout the story, and sometimes my pragmatic mind struggles to decipher them. However, despite this, I still have a great affection for the story. I wholeheartedly recommend it to you if you're looking to read something that is both different and memorable. It will take you on a journey that you won't soon forget.
So, if you're ready to step into the unique world of Haruki Murakami, give A Wild Sheep Chase a try. You won't be disappointed!

When one is unexpectedly approached by a random individual and tasked with locating a life form that is physically impossible to exist, yet one has a picture of it, and chooses to undertake this task out of necessity, one knows that something fantastical awaits. The Wild Sheep Chase is a captivating blend of noir thriller and philosophical daydream, effortlessly flowing along (partially due to the brilliant translation). Scene by scene, we are increasingly drawn into the story of the soon-to-be thirty-year-old J. There are numerous philosophical detours into entomology, time and space, and the nature of arriving just too late. These detours are not only thought-provoking but also great fun to contemplate (too much philosophical jargon truly intrigues me).

One of my favorite themes in the novel is the concept of silence, especially the kind that follows some sort of dramatic action. Several times throughout the story, the protagonist finds himself in a room, either alone or with others, where different kinds of silence pervade. I was amazed by the various ways in which a single concept could be expressed, with each new description赋予the word a completely new meaning. For instance, "The silence was not unlike the feeling one could get when the last curtain closes after a performance, the audience now gone, and the janitor, perhaps a man in his fifties with a wheeze, stands for a moment to inspect the job before getting on with the sweeping." Or, "A silence hung in the room as if a window, open since earlier in the day, had finally been shut, the dust now settling onto the furniture."

You can see what I mean. It's these little details in the book, and the things that are left unsaid, that always have an impact on me. Ultimately, this was a highly satisfying read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I'm also likely to explore other works by the author.

I was reading Murakami long before it became cool. Cough, cough. I first read this book 10 years ago. It was my very first encounter with Murakami's works, and I instantly fell in love. Since then, I have been on a mission to trace down and devour everything he has written and that has been translated into any language I could understand. And I was successful. So successful that I actually ran out of Murakami's books to read.

So for quite some time now, I have been feeling like rereading some of his novels, especially "A Wild Sheep Chase". However, I was a bit afraid of the disappointment that might come with it. The freshness could be gone, and the element of the magical "first contact" as well. Have you seen "The Murakami Bingo" by Grant Snider? It's somewhere here among the GR reviews too. But in case you haven't seen it, here it is.

You're welcome!! Yeah, while it's very funny, it has a point. Let's be honest here, Murakami bakes his cakes with the same elements every time. Although that doesn't stop them from being freaking delicious. So I had my doubts. But with the encouragement of a buddy read (thank you Orient!), trembling hands and a fainting heart (hehe, yeah sure), I started turning the pages...

And I found out that while "The Bingo" is damn RIGHT yet AGAIN, I enjoyed the novel just as much as I did the first time. It was seemingly simple. It was weird, it was funny, it was creepy. It was crazy. I loved it.

And I'm not sure if it's the influence of anime or Japanese dorama, but I kept hearing the characters talking in my head in Japanese, with specific intonations and voices... Or maybe it's the Sheep in my head, taking over...

P.S. For more Grant Snider stuff, go and check here: http://www.incidentalcomics.com/. He's awesome!

Man's reading habits have changed in such a way that people's comments can disappoint the author. And what about you? I knew a person who really loved Haruki Murakami, but I found him not so pleasant. (Let's not dwell on the reasons for the unpleasantness.) However, that person simply raved about Murakami - what a perfect writer. And such praise put me off so much that I couldn't bring myself to read. At all. Logically understanding why this was happening and not ruling out the possibility that Murakami could be truly excellent, I bravely took on his first short stories. I liked the introduction, the author's direct words. And everything. But that introduction made me hope that it could be better.

Recently, I found a new way of self-entertainment - I try to listen to books that I'm not ready to read. And, you know, it works!

So, I picked up "The Hunting Gun."

A play on the old saying ‘a wild goose chase', I'm afraid this book reads more like another old saying, ‘a complete waste of time’.

It felt to me that a random series of events had been linked together to form a very loose and aimless narrative. I really had no idea what was going on or what I’m supposed to take from this tale.

I’m a fan of the author, and I believe he’s written some stunning books. My personal favourites (in order) being:

1. 1Q84

2. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle

3. Kafka on the Shore

4. Norwegian Wood

Although the order of the first three is interchangeable, depending on my prevailing mood.

I should have been forewarned regarding this offering as I’d previously, randomly, read Dance, Dance, Dance, which I found incomprehensible. They’re both part of the mini-series of ‘Rat’ books Murakami penned through the 80’s and 90’s and AWSC is the precursor to DDD. I’d rather hoped that the former would provide some structure and some background to the latter, but I’m afraid it just didn’t hold my interest sufficiently to fully test this. I found myself drifting off through sections of the book, and the whole thing just washed over me without leaving much of an impression at all. So, the answers might have been there... I really don't know.

So why two stars and not only one? Well, at heart, this is a detective story, and I like detective stories. There are too many unlikely coincidences and shaky plot connections here, but Murakami’s natural flow is also evident – it’s easy to read and has some nice lines. Also, I only ever give one star to books I can’t bring myself to finish, and I did finish this one.

My advice is to give this one a miss, but do catch up with his better work. You won’t be sorry you did.

In conclusion, while this particular book didn't meet my expectations, it doesn't overshadow the brilliance of Murakami's other works. I would still encourage readers to explore his more acclaimed novels to truly appreciate his unique writing style and storytelling abilities.

Perhaps for some, this book might hold a different charm or offer a perspective that I missed. However, based on my personal experience, I believe there are far better Murakami books out there waiting to be discovered.

So, if you're a Murakami enthusiast or new to his works, I suggest you skip this one and dive into the ones that have received more widespread acclaim. You're bound to have a more fulfilling reading experience.

Remember, every reader's taste is different, and what might not work for one person could be a masterpiece for another. But in this case, I'm inclined to believe that most readers will find this book to be a bit of a disappointment compared to Murakami's other literary gems.