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    A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
    Unavailable
    A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
    Unavailable
    A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel

    Written by Haruki Murakami

    Narrated by Rupert Degas

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A marvelous hybrid of mythology and mystery, A Wild Sheep Chase is the extraordinary literary thriller that launched Haruki Murakami's international reputation.

    It begins simply enough: A twenty-something advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend, and casually appropriates the image for an insurance company's advertisement. What he doesn't realize is that included in the pastoral scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man in black who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences. Thus begins a surreal and elaborate quest that takes our hero from the urban haunts of Tokyo to the remote and snowy mountains of northern Japan, where he confronts not only the mythological sheep, but the confines of tradition and the demons deep within himself. Quirky and utterly captivating, A Wild Sheep Chase is Murakami at his astounding best.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 6, 2013
    ISBN9780804166539
    Unavailable
    A Wild Sheep Chase: A Novel

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    Reviews for A Wild Sheep Chase

    4/5

    2,168 ratings68 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Some laugh-out-loud lines, and a twisting, twining plot. Someone in another review said it was like experiencing someone else's dream, and that was apt. Still altogether enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      In which a young man becomes involved in finding a sheep in a remote part of Hokkaido at the behest of a sinister corporation founded by a dying tycoon who is obsessed with being possessed with sheep in general and with this particular sheep. For the most part, the book flies along engagingly, propelled by Murakami's wit, intellect, and gift for the surreal, culminating in a spectacular climax. I did feel that the book had two dead spots. Unfortunately, the first is art the start of the book, which describes in minute detail the enthusiasms of a couple of sex fetishists (don't get your hopes up--it's not sexy and it's not even particularly entertaining); the other is when the corporate functionary takes two chapters to explain the philosophy underlying the corportion's founding, which was far too Hegelian to arouse my interest. The rest of the book is well worth the ride, though.
    • 4/5
      This is probably one of the more interesting Murakami novels (and as this is my 10th one, that's significant. I'll get back with a full review before long.
    • 5/5
      I was somewhat unprepared to read "A wild sheep chase". I was in South Korea in the pre-kindle age and would read absolutely anything in English, so when a friend passed me this example of Japanese fiction I was merely glad that it was in English and not about Marxist didacticism or similar.As it turns out, "A wild sheep chase" is a very good, if somewhat odd, read. Detailing a Japanese marketing executive, his girlfriend with the alluring ears, an eclectic range of supporting characters and possibly the oddest ending I've read for many years. As with any book originally written in a language other than English, I wonder what has been lost or gained in translation. If anything, it may have gained something. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      weird but iteresting
    • 4/5
      This is the first book of Murakami that I've read. Without knowing anything of his style, I really enjoyed the weird, twisty plot of this book. While reading the book, there is a familiar feeling of the surreal in the boring motions of everyday.. I love books like this. :)
    • 4/5
      If you like magical realism or want to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Japanese cousin (not really,) then you'll enjoy Murakami. Aside from this book, I've only ready "Sputnik Sweetheart" so I'm not fully exposed, but he really knows how to turn a phrase and create some unusual imagery. When the narrator is getting ready to start his wild sheep chase with a flight to Hokkaido, he makes an interesting observation about jumbo jets: "747s always remind me of a fat, ugly old lady in the neighborhood where I used to live. Huge sagging breasts, swollen legs, dried-up neckline. The airport, a likely gathering place for the old ladies." I couldn't have said it better. I've heard his stories don't always have neat, tidy endings and it's certainly true here. It's an unusual detective story that will keep drawing you closer and closer to an answer, but you might feel just a little unresolved when the writing runs out. There's a reason he's a Nobel candidate for literature, though. He's worth experiencing.
    • 4/5
      This was a fun romp. A bit of mysticism and magic, kind of angry sheep, and a journey to the ends of the world (or Japan, anyway).
    • 4/5
      An under-motivated small-time Tokyo entrepreneur is bullied into looking for a very strange sheep. He discovers that said sheep has been running Japan since the end of the Second World War. I have read more preposterous scenarios but few more amusing. A wry read, and very delectable in the last third, when the hero lodges in my idea of paradise, a well-stocked isolated house in the woods in an area known for its paralyzing winters.
    • 5/5
      Creepy.....as....hades.But that's why I loved it!!!I'm serious. This book was so creepy it had me wiggling around in my seat in discomfort. Yet, I was absolutely captivated! I couldn't put the book down!If you're a reader looking for a book that will take you more than one read to truly grasp, then this is the book for you. It had my brain churning and my fingers tapping with nervous energy.I'm not going to give a bit of a run-down of the book as I've done in previous review mostly because it would sound too convoluted out of context. All you really need to know is our main character is forced to go chase a non-existent sheep out in the cold country. He gets trapped on a mountain, in a creepy cabin, all alone, and is occasionally visited by a sheep-man.There you go.Murakami's imagery is rich and the meaning of his works heavy and grey, like a cloud hanging right over your head while the sun shines everywhere else. He is not an "IN YOUR FACE" horror master. He's the type that likes to really get under your skin in a very subtle way so that he has unguarded access to your subconscious. When he gets there he gets busy digging and thrashing around and without suspecting it... you're suddenly disturbed.I honestly have no complaints about this book. To be truthful, I really need to read it a few more times to better gather an understanding for the work. As a piece of pure entertainment it's thrilling, as a work of intellect it's probing and there are quite a few exchanges in the book that make you say "Wait... What?" You wish you had the option to raise your hand and ask for an explanation.A Wild Sheep Chase is a love child of myth and philosophy and there's plenty to decipher along the literary journey from cover to cover. That's what's so nice about it, and it's what makes this book a fantastic one for a book club that's really looking for some grit to grind.The sheep-man is probably my favorite character, though he's undoubtedly the most bizarre and unsettling. He shows up randomly and you're never quite sure if he's real or not. You're never completely positive that the main character hasn't lost his mind. Near the end of the book you're not even completely positive that you haven't lost your mind. Doesn't that make a darn good book?!Highly recommend this work. ABSOLUTELY.
    • 4/5
      What's a PR man to do when his wife leaves him and a shady billionaire wants him to search out a mythical sheep in the rural North? Go on an adventure with a woman of preternaturally beautiful ears, of course.Most of the book plots out the mystery of the sheep with engagingly written detail about the journey — Murakami notes every cigarette smoked and every drink ordered, which sets a pretty languorous tone. Which Murakami punctuates at regular intervals with insanity, including the hilarious description of the narrator's cat, the girlfriend with magical ears, the Sheep Man...I don't quite know what to think about this novel. Making a sheep embody unfettered power is brilliant (a sheep!), and the execution was deft. The whole book was so weird, I think it's left me with a sense of disconnectedness.
    • 5/5
      Murakami's ability to connect what seems to be unrelated is unmatched.
    • 3/5
      It was beautifully written and deep. And always very mystical and unique.
    • 4/5
      This book ... this book ... this book came at me like Kurt Vonnegut on Risperidone telling his version of Moby Dick.

      A great read - I don't quite know what Murakami was trying to say - but I throughly enjoyed being introduced to this author with this book. This won't be the last of his that I read.
    • 3/5
      As you would expect from Murakami this is a strange tale, but a good read nonetheless. All about the search for a specific sheep with a star on its back. This has everything you would expect with a good Murakami, trippy plot, bizarre characters but all written in such a matter of fact style that it works.
    • 4/5
      a very compelling story / mystery... but I'm still having to ponder this one. It's a good fun, mystical read, but as my friend Terry says "You just need to suspend your logical mind and believe." I'm intrigued by Murakami, so I think I'm in for more.I'd be a higher rating if I thought I understood; so clearly, I'm struggling with Terry's directive. Working on that...
    • 3/5
      The audiobook has so many outdated details (such as cutting off from one chapter and different words were spoken that isn't in the book) but regardless, the narrator knows how to bring new characters
    • 4/5
      You truly have to put aside reality to read Murakami's books sometimes. For instance, this book centers around a special sheep that one very influential guy may have encountered 40 years ago and it may have changed his life. But we are not sure, because he is actually in a coma. Never-the-less the hunt is on to find this very special sheep! Problem? "The life expectancy of sheep is similar to large breeds of dogs, about 10 to 12 years. Some breeds are known for being longer-lived, e.g. Merino. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the oldest sheep lived to be 23. She was a Merino." So, this sheep could not possibly still be around. Oh wait...I forgot. This is supposed to be a new breed of sheep. So now it all makes sense again. Right? Nope.I totally wish I had read this one with a book group because I have that many questions. His endings always leave me saying, "But wait! Why did...? and what happened to...? and what did you mean by...? and how could s/he...?" And still, I love his books. Unpredictable, thought-provoking, fun, smart and unforgettable. The last is the thing that keeps drawing me in. No one else writes characters and plot like Murakami does. The protagonist was never even named. In 353 pages! The story is told in the first person, which usually bothers me, but the story wasn't littered with constant "I"s, so it didn't. In fact, many of the characters have no "name": There is the ex-wife, the girlfriend, The Rat, The Sheep Professor, The Boss, The Chauffeur, etc. Fascinating and recommended.
    • 5/5
      I can't beat Joel's picture review. Go look at his review instead of mine.

      This was Murakami's first novel published in English, and it's got everything I like about his work - and most of what he was become known for: the dissociated, disaffected characters, the portrayal of contemporary Japanese culture, enigmatic women, jazz music... and deep, deep weirdness.

      It also features the Sheep Man, and ear fetishism.

      The surrealism and metaphysical musings never get in the way of an entertaining story - rather, they add to it. This might actually be my favorite book I've read so far by Murakami - but I haven't read all of them yet.


    • 4/5
      This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it very much. I wasn't exactly sure where it was going, but I enjoyed the trip.
    • 4/5
      I am not at all familiar with the author; although he happened to be mentioned in Time magazine while I was reading this book. A strange story, but I rather liked it. The dust jacket mentions a sequel, Dance, Dance, Dance. And the reviews here say that this is the third book in a trilogy; fortunately, it stands on its own. No one in the story has a name, except for a cat who is named long after the narrator acquired him. His girlfriend has such lovely ears that she is an ear model.Some quotes I liked: It came back to me, that giant whale's penis, after having intercourse with a girl for the very first time. What twists of fate, what torturous circumnavigations, had brought it to that cavernous exhibition room. My heart ached, thinking about it. I felt as if I didn't have a hope in the world. But I was only seventeen and clearly too young to give up on everything. It was then and there I came to the realization I have borne in mind ever since. Which is, that I am not a whale. [p. 26]...slender hands without telltale wrinkles. His long fingers suggested nothing so much as a troop of animals that had retained deep primal memories despite long years of training and control. His fingernails were meticulously manicured, a clean, perfect arc at the end of each fingertip. Truly beautiful hands, if somewhat unsettling. They bespoke a high degree of specialization in some rarefied field---but what that field might be was anyone's guess. [pp. 51-52] (...Bizness, the man enunciated, which marked him as a foreign-born Japanese; most Japanese Japanese will say bijiness. [p. 53]If the only good Indian is a dead Indian, it was my fate to go on living. [p. 86] (Of interest because it shows the enduring universality of American popular culture.) "Speaking frankly and speaking the truth are two different things entirely. Honesty is to truth as prow is to stern. Honesty appears first and truth appears last. The interval between varies in direct proportion to the size of ship. With anything of size, truth takes a long time coming...." [p. 106] "Of course, as a right-wing thinker his theories and conception of the world were rather silly...." [p. 117]
    • 4/5
      Ingenious and imaginative, the story just takes the reader along for the wild ride. A Wild Sheep Chase is true to Haruki Murakami's curious, ceptivating, flow-of-consciousness type of story telling. Never in my life have I read so much about ears and sheep, and enjoyed it so immensely. What surprises me the most, though, is how I never got to know names of the characters. Haruki Murakami makes the inner world and behaviour of each character so important, so true, and down-to-earth and versatile that you never even wonder...
    • 4/5
      You can definitely tell this is early Murakami, but it was still great. I'm sitting here with postpartum book depression, wondering what I'm going to do when I run out of Murakami books to read.
    • 5/5
      This book was my introduction to Murakami. I just reread it, and it totally holds up. My favorite example of Murakami's strange, not-quite-nonsensical worlds.
    • 4/5
      A weird book, even for Murakami. I'm not sure I liked it quite as much as some of his others, although the ending was spellbinding. I should have read the first two Rat books first.
    • 4/5
      Eigentlich erfüllt es alle meine Ansprüche, wirklich alle– die meiste Zeit. Es ist skurril, spannend, macht Spaß, hat wirre Gedanken und schräge Querverbindungen… Nur das Ende? Da wäre dann doch eien Steigerung ein wenig wünschenswert. Fällt eher flach aus, im Vergleich zum Rest.

      Am liebsten hab ich ja den Anruf Bückling betreffend.
    • 4/5
      In A Wild Sheep Chase, the nameless protagonist and his girlfriend with extraordinarily charistmatic ears embark on a quest to find a mysterious sheep with a star on its back. The quest leads the protagonist from Tokyo to Sapporo, whereupon all manner of bizarre and unique characters intervene to drive the quest forward: a crazed man in a sheep outfit, a runaway best friend, an ovine-obsessed professor, and a comatose right-wing politician; the sheep for which they all search is rumoured to enable great success but at a cost - the domination of the person by the sheep.

      This bizarre journey is a post-modern fantasy/mystery story that captures a snapshot of 1970s post-war Japanese culture while delivering a remarkable and exciting story. Though it builds slowly: Murakami explores in detail the background of the protagonist and his life in Tokyo, the story advances methodically and rhythmically, drawing the reader deeper in, searching for the mystery sheep.

      The translation by Alfred Birnbaum captures elegantly Murakami's writing style and his ability to create incredibly poetic writing about the most mundane, everyday matters.
    • 3/5
      Possession, parasitic sheep and post-war Japan.
    • 2/5
      I am having a hard time rating this book. It was an enjoyable and easy read but I don't understand the ending. I feel there must be a deeper intellectual meaning and I am not getting it.
    • 1/5
      Just no.
      Soliloquies about ears are where I stop.
      No.