A Wild Sheep Chase (6 points)

Unlike in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, Haruki Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase does not contain a physical monster. The horrors found in this book deal more with the confusing nature of reality. What is real? What is being imagined? It all comes back to the question that the narrator asks: Does my life matter?

A Wild Sheep Chase differs from the previous books we read in that it is more so a fantasy novel than a horror novel. Today, this book does not seem all that horrifying but it may have been more so when it was originally released. Another possibility for this is that Japanese horror is more defined by fantasy elements and the unknown.

The values discussed in this book are clear. The narrator seeks it throughout the books entirety. He wants to know if his life matters. I think this theme can be found in many books and films both new and old. The way the story is written is quite unique by being broken up into parts. Each part jumps to a different place in the timeline of the story. Those parts are then divided up into named sections.

The specific theme of the book is one that is not new in any way but it is hard to find today. Many films and books today have darker themes and oftentimes don’t have an ending where the negative protagonist actually achieves their goal.

This book’s uniqueness is also found in that it is an adventure beyond reality. The narrator doesn’t just figure out the purpose of his life immediately. He must go through a long, mind-bending journey. The fantasy challenges the narrator faces make the story interesting. The real-life challenges the narrator faces allow us to connect with him.

I personally find the values presented in this book to be very important. In Europe and North America today, the concept of finding your purpose is often thought to be cliché. I think several books and films make the concept cliché, but like any topic being explored, you can turn something typical into something unique and original.