The Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

     This was a story that I’ve never encountered before; I've never read much mystery and detective type books. So this book really got me to question everything that was going on with the main character and his journey to find this certain sheep with a star on its back. The author of The Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami, had a descriptive way of telling everything that was happening, from the look of the environment and buildings, to details of objects and people. Nothing seems to be left out that would leave the reader lost in his words, perhaps a bit too much detail.

     As I mentioned before, this was a new book for me to experience. At first I thought that this was going to be another horror story such as Frankenstein, and Interview with the Vampire. Because when the unknown main character talks about a funeral that he went to, and when his ex-girlfriend was at his apartment acting very distant with him, what came to my mind was that this character was going to be haunted by his x girl friend. But then that would leave the question of why calling the book The Wild Sheep Case if we haven't been introduce to any sheep. 

      There were some things that I didn't like about this story. The first thing that bothered me was the fact that the main character never mentioned his name. Or even the names of his ex-girlfriend and his new girl friend that has some kind of psychic powers (she knew that his journey would begin with a sheep). The only people that had some name or identity to them were some side characters that lead the main character on this sheep case. There names were The Rat, The Boss, The Man in the Black Suit, a man named J (that the Rat knew) and so forth. At times I would forget who was talking to whom because there were no real names given to the main characters.  

    The other thing that bothered me a little bit was that it spent too much time on describing areas and objects, or that the conversations would seem to go on and on. The conversations between the main character and some other character are important, with good information on the next clue to finding this sheep with a star on it's back, but maybe it could be edited on what parts of the conversations could be kept in the book. 

    I'm sorry to say that this was not one of my favorite books. At times it would be to confusing for me to understand. I feel like I'm that unknown main character that is on this wild sheep case finding someone else's answers, and not understanding why I was chosen for the job. In parts of the story when the main character was frustrated or confused, or at a lost as to what to do next, so was I. Maybe this was what Murakami wanted in his book. A new way of feeling connected to the main character, that makes you feel like you’re in his shoes.