For my first Murakami novel, I was not impressed.
In all honesty, I was not fond of A Wild Sheep Chase. I found it to be unengaging, and quite frankly boring. I struggled to be interested with the narrative, many of individual characters, and the overall direction of where the narrative was going.
Yes, this novel is unusual, but that should not be its downfall. Oftentimes, when reading this novel, I found myself questioning many of the plot points. Why is the Rat central to the story? Is the translational debate of the Rat and the Mouse really that important? Why does the protagonist seem to have a kinship to the Rat? If the protagonist is 'going with the flow of life,' then why is he susceptible to blackmail? What is up the hyperfixation of body parts (e.g. the girlfriend's ear or the whale's penis)? Why is the sheep important? Is the lore of the sheep original? What is the point of this?
Whilst reading this novel, I was often curious on how Murakami implemented his influences into his writing. Sure, I could see how certain plot points and things were similar to what happened in The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler, but it did not really connect in my head. To me, the only instances of Westernization is when Murakami mentions 'Western' things like films, musicians, books, etc. All this talk of influences have stirred up a central question in my head: Why is 'Western' literature seen as a source of inspiration, something that others, especially 'foreign' authors, should draw inspiration from or emulate?
- Cassandra Berrette
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