A Wild Sheep Chase
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
As with many of Haruki Murakami's novels, the plot curdles with complex diversity only to be resolved by a collision between wild fantasy and outright slapstick. A Wild Sheep Chase refers aptly to the tradition of cool but kitsch detective sagas. Except here, the metaphoric goose is now a literal sheep with a distinctive marking; an urban myth with the promise of immortality.
The anonymous narrator is a mild-mannered thirtysomething with a more than understanding attitude--things happen because they are supposed to and there's no sense standing in the way of progress or nature. It takes the disappearance of a friend and some gentle intimidation from a right wing conglomerate to break the pattern of apathy and send him off on his adventure.
Murakami's detail of the most mundane situations makes his lead character endearing. Those who've read Murakami before will recognise that certain empathy for the strange thoughts and rituals that are now hallmarks of his wry humour. Although an unlikely hero, the quest for a missing friend and the support of a lover with mysterious ears takes him off in search of the elusive sheep in a bizarre adventure--danger and absurdity hindering every movement. --David Trueman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Murakami is a mythmaker for the millennium, a wiseacre wiseman." -"New York Times Book Review
""A delight . . . equal parts screwball comedy, detective story, and heroic quest." -"USA Today
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"A witty adventure . . . a piece of verbal anarchy . . . a labyrinthine mystery from start to finish." -"San Francisco Chronicle
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"Marvelously engaging, at turns witty, dry, wicked, even loopy. Reading "A Wild Sheep Chase" is like spending a splendidly foul weekend with the Four Raymonds-Chandler, Carver, Massey, and Queneau."-Frederick Barthelme
""A delight . . . equal parts screwball comedy, detective story, and heroic quest." -"USA Today
"
"A witty adventure . . . a piece of verbal anarchy . . . a labyrinthine mystery from start to finish." -"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"Marvelously engaging, at turns witty, dry, wicked, even loopy. Reading "A Wild Sheep Chase" is like spending a splendidly foul weekend with the Four Raymonds-Chandler, Carver, Massey, and Queneau."-Frederick Barthelme
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I can describe this simply - it's Raymond Carver's sense of human smallness and dignity coupled with Raymond Chandler's sense of pulp, but with a sort of Marx-Brothers/Manga thrown in. The girl with beautiful ears is perhaps Murakami's best kooky-girl and the plot rattles along. It's weird as hell, but firmly anchored to the real world too. Rather like "The Wind-up Bird Chronicles" there's a sense of opaqueness to it, a sense that you are not glimpsing everything that is to be found on first read. But it reads just as well second time.
There's nobody to touch Murakami, and this is a particularly good Murakami book. Maybe my favourite, though Wind-Up Bird is his most accomplished work.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Written in 1982, this is the earliest Murakami novel widely available to the English-speaking world, though it isn't Murakami's first novel (he wrote two before this one).
Attempting to find the meaning in this bizaare and surreal detective story will probably always be fruitless, but trying to work it out while reading is so much fun. Reading it again is just as good, as you think that perhaps this time you are ready, this time you will understand what it all means - but you never are ready and you never do understand.
It is worth noting that despite its jaunty and carefree tone, the book is full of death and images of death, which lend it something of a brooding darkeness. It is also worth noting that here is a very early example of Murakami's frequently repeated 'mysterious woman who goes unexplainably missing' trick.
In 1988 Murakami produced a sequel, Dance Dance Dance but, despite being quite frightening and easy to read, it is inferior to Wild Sheep Chase and doesn't stand up to repeated readings.
Attempting to find the meaning in this bizaare and surreal detective story will probably always be fruitless, but trying to work it out while reading is so much fun. Reading it again is just as good, as you think that perhaps this time you are ready, this time you will understand what it all means - but you never are ready and you never do understand.
It is worth noting that despite its jaunty and carefree tone, the book is full of death and images of death, which lend it something of a brooding darkeness. It is also worth noting that here is a very early example of Murakami's frequently repeated 'mysterious woman who goes unexplainably missing' trick.
In 1988 Murakami produced a sequel, Dance Dance Dance but, despite being quite frightening and easy to read, it is inferior to Wild Sheep Chase and doesn't stand up to repeated readings.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If there is one criticism that can be made of Murakami's wild, fascinating and intensely thoughtful novels, it is that the humanity of his characters can occasionally be lost in the wistful poetry of his writing. This is not the case of The Wild Sheep Chase: the book's poignant, terrifically tender ending moves the reader not, as is usual with Murakami, with sympathy for a universal failing, but instead with a unique, very human, sense of loss.
This is a witty and wonderful book, with the power to transform the reader's view of the world. While this is often the case with Murakami's novels, this book has a peculiarly prosaic setting, which slowly gives way to the bizarre universe just outside one's doorstep. I would recommend it especially for those new to Murakami's twisted galaxy of writing, but also to those fans who already find they prefer Murakami's fantastical Japan to their personal reality.
This is a witty and wonderful book, with the power to transform the reader's view of the world. While this is often the case with Murakami's novels, this book has a peculiarly prosaic setting, which slowly gives way to the bizarre universe just outside one's doorstep. I would recommend it especially for those new to Murakami's twisted galaxy of writing, but also to those fans who already find they prefer Murakami's fantastical Japan to their personal reality.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The best Murukami i've read
i've read alot of his work and i have to say that i really love this book, i would say its his best story certainly if you are new to Murukami, he can be pretty bizzarre but i... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Rishters123
The clue is in the title so don't think you weren't warned
A wild-goose chase is defined as a foolish, hopeless and unproductive quest. So don't be surprised to learn that A Wild Sheep Chase is a foolish and hopeless reading experience. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Philoctetes
Great read, but a disappointing end
I bought the book after having read Norwegian Wood - one of my favourite books by far.
A Wild Sheep Chase is an easy and interesting read. Read more
A Wild Sheep Chase is an easy and interesting read. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Eva F.
Not his best, but the end saves it
I was really looking forward too reading another Murakami but it really took me a long time to get into this one. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Lucybird
book not received
I have not received the good. I sent several emails asking update and to be refund in the end. Still not received any reply from them.
very bad service and assistance.
very bad service and assistance.
Published 16 months ago by Luisa
Loved it
My favourite Murakami's book and one of the best novels I have ever read. The cobweb of the plot wont leave you indifferent. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Gatta220
I'm forever realising things too late.,
Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949, and is one of Japan's most famous authors. He started writing at twenty-nine - the ispiration, apparently, appearing out of nowhere at a... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Craobh Rua
Intriguing and Offbeat
This is one of Murakami's earlier novels, but has all his trademark elements.
His protagonist is apparently engaged in a Detective Noir quest, complete with mystery... Read more
His protagonist is apparently engaged in a Detective Noir quest, complete with mystery... Read more
Published on 12 May 2010 by Plausible Denial
like a wool blanket- iches but how nice it is...
I have to say that after reading "Kafka On The Shore", reaching for this book was firstly a little bit disappointing. Read more
Published on 23 April 2010 by M. Ciska
A fine introduction to Murakami on paper
Listening to the audible.co.uk audio version of Murakami's Kafka On The Shore made me determined to read the fellow. However, I could not help thinking of the narrators of Kafka... Read more
Published on 13 Dec 2009 by G. D. Busby
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