Wild Sheep Chase was the first Murakami book I’ve ever read. Going into it, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect—I had heard things about his surreal writing style and abstract themes but didn’t know much more. I really enjoyed this book. By the end of it, I felt very attached to the characters, like Boku, The Rat, Sheepman, and the girlfriend. I found myself growing very sad when it is revealed that The Rat is dead, and he has his last conversation with Boku.
One thing I found interesting was Murakami’s way of writing. Murakami’s style is straightforward while also being ambiguous—he states things directly, even if those things are bizarre. He doesn’t overexplain or try to make things make perfect sense, which I really appreciate. I find that when authors try to explain their surrealism too much, it detracts from the altered and strange feeling that it’s supposed to convey. Murakami’s characters also mostly accept these strange, otherworldly occurrences as nothing too unusual, which I think really adds to the immersion. For instance, when the Sheepman is first introduced, Boku simply says “At 2 o’clock the Sheep Man came,” (293) and he immediately invites him in without questioning who he is, why he is wearing a sheep costume, etc. These characters exist in the universe that Murakami created, and it’s one that’s not quite normal. I think this adds to the overall surreal effect.
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