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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Much better than the two previous books of the Rat Series. As always Murakami and his magic made the story wonderful.
Cant wait to read Dance Dance to know what's more to the story.
Cant wait to read Dance Dance to know what's more to the story.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
A Wild Sheep Chase was my first Haruki Murakami read, and it’s a surreal, captivating journey that blends mystery, philosophy, and the whimsical. Set in 1970s Tokyo, it follows a recently divered advertising executive whose life blalleged boring life spirals into the bizarre after he's tasked with tracking down a mysterious sheep with a star shaped mark which is tied to supernatural power by an evil organisations dying boss.
As the unnamed protagonist journeys to Hokkaido, he meets eccentric characters and is drawn into strange, dreamlike events that blur the line between reality.
Murakami explores themes of identity, modern alienation, and the elusive search for meaning and loss. This was a very strange book but also pretty addictive. I'm not sure if it was the best place to start, but this gives me an idea of what Murakami's writing is like, and im very happy that I have more of his work to jump into.
I'll think about this book for s long time I think.
As the unnamed protagonist journeys to Hokkaido, he meets eccentric characters and is drawn into strange, dreamlike events that blur the line between reality.
Murakami explores themes of identity, modern alienation, and the elusive search for meaning and loss. This was a very strange book but also pretty addictive. I'm not sure if it was the best place to start, but this gives me an idea of what Murakami's writing is like, and im very happy that I have more of his work to jump into.
I'll think about this book for s long time I think.
this book kept bewitching me into unexpected naps, its slow and meticulously painted. I honestly yearn for the japan it depicts. A great cocktail of dreamy drama and fantasy.
3.75
"There're many things we don't really know. It's an illusion that we know anything at all."
This book was really strange, yet I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was hard to focus on it at various points because it either got a little boring or I didn't necessarily know what was going on, but the story overall was really good. Honestly, I'm still not sure if I know what went on. Our main character (who is nameless) is sent on a wild sheep chase, looking for a specific sheep in a specific part of Tokyo. He is sent on this by some strange men and the whole concept of the book was just WEIRD. The 'sheep' is obviously a symbol for something else, as this book contains plenty of magical realism and surrealism. But, I have yet to figure out what the symbolism is (something I'm certainly going to do a deep dive about now). There really isn't too much to say about this book, Murakami is a fantastic writer and I'm so excited to read some more of his work since I've picked up a few of his novels this weekend. If you want something odd and thought provoking, while also extremely puzzling- this would definitely be worth picking up.
"We can, if we so choose, wander aimlessly over the continent of the arbitrary....
Nonetheless, we can in the same breath deny that there is any such thing as coincidence. What's done is done, what's yet to be is clearly yet to be, and so on. 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."
"There're many things we don't really know. It's an illusion that we know anything at all."
This book was really strange, yet I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was hard to focus on it at various points because it either got a little boring or I didn't necessarily know what was going on, but the story overall was really good. Honestly, I'm still not sure if I know what went on. Our main character (who is nameless) is sent on a wild sheep chase, looking for a specific sheep in a specific part of Tokyo. He is sent on this by some strange men and the whole concept of the book was just WEIRD. The 'sheep' is obviously a symbol for something else, as this book contains plenty of magical realism and surrealism. But, I have yet to figure out what the symbolism is (something I'm certainly going to do a deep dive about now). There really isn't too much to say about this book, Murakami is a fantastic writer and I'm so excited to read some more of his work since I've picked up a few of his novels this weekend. If you want something odd and thought provoking, while also extremely puzzling- this would definitely be worth picking up.
"We can, if we so choose, wander aimlessly over the continent of the arbitrary....
Nonetheless, we can in the same breath deny that there is any such thing as coincidence. What's done is done, what's yet to be is clearly yet to be, and so on. 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."
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first Murakami — finally. I’d been meaning to read him for ages, and someone in my book club was giving this one away, so I figured why not. I’d heard both the hype and the criticisms, and now, I get it. I went in pretty blind, only knowing it was the third book in the Rat series, but no need to read them in order though now I wonder if starting with this novel was really the right choice.
I liked the writing style (props to the translator for keeping the tone intact) and the mix of genres — there’s something intriguing about the surreal, offbeat vibe. But honestly, the story didn’t really grab me. I found it kind of dull, and the world just didn’t pull me in. Plus, the way women are portrayed really stood out — flat, underdeveloped, and clearly written from a male gaze. I know that’s a common criticism of Murakami, and I can see why.
These days, we're lucky to have access to so many authors exploring speculative fiction, magical realism, and gender-bending narratives with greater emotional and thematic range. Given my lukewarm reaction to this novel, I wont be rushing back to read another Murakami anytime soon.
I liked the writing style (props to the translator for keeping the tone intact) and the mix of genres — there’s something intriguing about the surreal, offbeat vibe. But honestly, the story didn’t really grab me. I found it kind of dull, and the world just didn’t pull me in. Plus, the way women are portrayed really stood out — flat, underdeveloped, and clearly written from a male gaze. I know that’s a common criticism of Murakami, and I can see why.
These days, we're lucky to have access to so many authors exploring speculative fiction, magical realism, and gender-bending narratives with greater emotional and thematic range. Given my lukewarm reaction to this novel, I wont be rushing back to read another Murakami anytime soon.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes