Book Review: A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

 

Haruki Murakami is by far not a "favourite" author of mine. However, it is surprising that I have already consumed two books of his. As far as writers go, anyone who's been around the Murakami neighbourhood even once, know that he's strange and his writing, downright weird. 

The very first Murakami book that I picked up, was Kafka On The Shore - and while I enjoyed it, it certainly creeped me out because of the pedophilia that was a major arc in the storyline. Once I was done with the book, I found that I hardly could encapsulate what the book was about. KOTS seemed so ephemeral - something I just couldn't get my hands on. It was as though there was no meat in the story. And this I'm saying about a 505 pages odd tome. 

As I left the book feeling dissatisfied, my sister recommended that next time, I try to "listen" to the book on audio, instead of reading it. As a longtime Murakami reader, she has read almost every title he's come out with - and her word, is one I trust, especially when it comes to this author. 

So, when I decided to dive back into the strange Murakami world again, I decided to go ahead with an easier and more palatable narrative - A Wild Sheep Chase - and chose to listen to the book on Audible. Suffice to say, it was a GOOD decision. 

Not only did I enjoy the book, but I was also able to appreciate Murakami as a writer and get a more intimate insight into the real, but fantastical storyworlds he creates. So, now that I've completed the long-winded introduction to this review, lets' jump into the review itself. 

Review

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami follows an unnamed narrator, who finds himself suddenly uprooted from his languid, laid back, superficial life and thrust right into the middle of a peculiar mystery. At the centre of the mystery - a sheep. 

Although this seems such a pedestrian central figure, don't be beguiled by said sheep. The entire narrative winds its way towards understanding just why this sheep is special and why the unnamed protagonist must find it. 

As you listen to the book, you'll find yourself drawn into this seemingly ridiculous world with gusto. I couldn't tear myself away from the book and was eager to get my headphones back on at the earliest, once my workday was finished. 

The conversations between characters are hilarious - one element that seemed missing in KOTS. I found the protagonist's self-deprecating nature both funny and practical. It's an attitude that I feel all of us can benefit from sometimes; just so we don't take life too seriously. 

As for the characters themselves, in true Murakami style, none of them are well fleshed out. There's just enough material provided about each character to keep you interested, but not enough to make you want to care. The female lead (if you want to call her that - although that's a stretch), is again, in a Murakami-esque way, overly sexualized and just a prop for the protagonist's sexual gratification. The antagonists (again, I use the term loosely here), are quite interesting and you are left guessing why they're so wound up in the sheep. 

Overall, I felt AWSC was definitely an easier read compared to KOTS. Of course, I do want to include that I read KOTS ages ago and perhaps my experience with it will be different now. Also, the Audible version did do wonders. The narrator, Dexter Galang, has done a good job in maintaining the integrity of the story. 

Again, when I spoke to my sister about the persistent monotone and seeming boredom that the narrator possessed in the book, I was informed that the narration was purposeful. As someone who listened to the mammoth 45 hours 46 minutes magnum opus, 1Q84, on Audible (and read a host of other Murakami books), she has had plenty of experience to critically evaluate the nature of each of his protagonists. She distilled them into a single sentence, whose core message was this - "Murakami's protagonist is typically a run of the mill man, in a run of the mill life, who's thrown into an absurd magical experience, but really couldn't be bothered to feel excited or fearful or anything about it - i.e., it's business as usual."

And that's a tone that I felt both in the writing and in the narration. So, suffice to say, Galang has stayed true to the essence of Murakami's writing and thought process. 

Verdict

Overall, I felt A Wild Sheep Chase was an entertaining and quick listen. It has enough magical realism elements to introduce you to the unique Murakami flavour. But, it isn't too out there like his other books, to alienate new readers.

If you are considering getting started with Murakami and you want to sample his trademark weird style of writing, I would definitely recommend you pick up, A Wild Sheep Chase. 

Rating: 

3.8/5

Fun fact: 

After I finished reading this book and published a review on Litsy, I found out that AWSC is actually a part of what is known as "The Rat Series". At first, I was concerned that I did not read the previous two books, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973. I wondered if I should go back, listen to them and then to the sequel, Dance, Dance, Dance. But, as it turns out, you don't need to do that. 

The reason AWSC is considered to be part of a "series", is that it features one character, The Rat, in all four books. But, by no measure are any of the four books related to each other in their storylines. So, you can safely read/listen to each book independently and choose later, if you want to invest your time in any of the other books in this so-called series. 

-Nisha Prakash