Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★★ (4.5/5)
Genre: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Mystery, Surrealism

Book Review:
Haruki Murakami is a writer who defies categorization, and ''A Wild Sheep Chase'' is the novel where he fully came into his own. It's the book that established the template for his later work—a blend of detective fiction, surreal fantasy, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture references that is unmistakably, uniquely Murakami.

The novel begins simply enough. Our unnamed narrator, a Tokyo advertising executive going through a divorce, receives a letter from a friend that includes a photograph of a pastoral scene with a single sheep in the background. The narrator uses the photo in a campaign, thinking nothing of it. But then a mysterious man in a black suit appears, representing a shadowy right-wing organization, and informs the narrator that the sheep in the photograph is no ordinary sheep. It has a star-shaped birthmark and may be connected to the organization's leader. The narrator has 48 hours to find the sheep—or else.

Thus begins a journey that takes the narrator and his girlfriend (whose ears, we are told, are so exquisite that they improve sex a thousand-fold) to the mountains of Hokkaido. There they encounter a cast of unforgettable characters: the Sheep Professor, an elderly scholar obsessed with ovine lore; the Boss, a right-wing power broker who may be possessed by the sheep; and the ghost of a man who was also possessed, leaving behind a cryptic manuscript.

The plot, such as it is, matters less than the atmosphere and the ideas. Murakami creates a world that is simultaneously familiar and strange, where the mundane coexists with the supernatural, where sheep can be vessels for cosmic forces, where a photograph can lead to a metaphysical quest. The prose, beautifully translated, is deceptively simple—clear, direct, and capable of great lyricism.

The novel is also deeply funny. Murakami has a deadpan sense of humor that runs through everything. The narrator's observations about life, love, and the absurdity of existence are wry and often hilarious. The girlfriend with the magical ears is a wonderful creation—both a parody of male fantasy and a genuinely mysterious figure in her own right.

Critical reception has been extraordinary. The New Yorker calls it ''a highly accomplished piece of craftsmanship'' that ''begins as a detective novel, dips into a screwball comedy, and at its close becomes a tale of possession.'' The Independent on Sunday confesses to being ''weak-kneed with admiration.'' The Sunday Herald notes that ''Murakami is a true original and yet in many ways he is also Franz Kafka's successor.''

''A Wild Sheep Chase'' is the perfect entry point for readers new to Murakami. It's shorter and more accessible than some of his later epics, but it contains all the elements that make him great: surreal imagination, philosophical depth, pop culture savvy, and a deep, abiding humanity. For longtime fans, it's a pleasure to revisit the book where it all came together.

As Jay McInerney writes, Murakami is ''the chronicler of the contemporary heart and head.'' ''A Wild Sheep Chase'' proves it. Highly recommended.