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maurits's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Ik heb het uitgelezen en weet nog steeds niet waar het nou eigenlijk over ging.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism
avocadotoastbee's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
A Wild Sheep Chase is the third novel of Haruki Murakami’s The Rat quadrilogy.
While it can be read as a stand-alone novel, I was glad I read Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 first.
The preceding novels gave me just enough background information.
Although I love the way Murakami can write stories with no plot, the storyline in A Wild Sheep Chase was just what was missing in Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball. The obscure plot drew me in immediately and I could not lay the book down.
In The Rat #1 and #2 I could not stand the character The Rat. In a way, he was boring and unlikable, but I fell in love with him at the end of A Wild Sheep Chase.
Despite Murakami’s reoccurring mysogyny, A Wild Sheep Chase is a Masterpiece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny
juliana05's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Alcoholism
yooniereads's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“In other words, sandwiched as we are between the ‘everything’ that is behind us and the ‘zero’ beyond us, ours is an ephemeral existence in which there is neither coincidence nor possibility.”
This novel is Murakami at his prime in storytelling. It follows a nameless narrator (a hallmark of vintage Murakami) undergoing, in my opinion, a metaphysical journey of sorts. It’s a lyrical character study and a visceral look into the human psyche with such bizarre characters you just can’t help but to love.
In usual Murakami fashion, you embark on a journey to find a mystical sheep, meeting nameless and yet unique characters that make it such a masterclass in characterization. There are figures like the Sheep Man, possibly one of my favorite characters next to Norwegian Wood’s Midori, as well as a reality slowly melting in itself in such a way that makes it questionable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It brings up existential questions I haven’t thought of before with a new light that only fiction could bring forward. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for anyone who is not too interested in magical realism or for someone starting out with Murakami because it can be a bit dense to work through. But if you’ve enjoyed works like Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World or After Dark, then this would be a great place to venture to!
This novel is Murakami at his prime in storytelling. It follows a nameless narrator (a hallmark of vintage Murakami) undergoing, in my opinion, a metaphysical journey of sorts. It’s a lyrical character study and a visceral look into the human psyche with such bizarre characters you just can’t help but to love.
In usual Murakami fashion, you embark on a journey to find a mystical sheep, meeting nameless and yet unique characters that make it such a masterclass in characterization. There are figures like the Sheep Man, possibly one of my favorite characters next to Norwegian Wood’s Midori, as well as a reality slowly melting in itself in such a way that makes it questionable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It brings up existential questions I haven’t thought of before with a new light that only fiction could bring forward. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for anyone who is not too interested in magical realism or for someone starting out with Murakami because it can be a bit dense to work through. But if you’ve enjoyed works like Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World or After Dark, then this would be a great place to venture to!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
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