It took me quite a while to finish this novel, because as much as it sounds like a paradox – one of my favourite writers had begun to irritate me. That does not mean that I did not enjoy this book, but it does mean that I have now lost that special feeling which I always had when I picked up a book by Murakami. The reason for this is obvious, since it seems only reasonable that after reading a certain amount of books by one author his style may seem repetitive, and this was precisely what irked me.
The novel involves a variety of intriguing characters from the narrator, to high-class prostitutes, a famous actor, a thirteen-year-old girl with a difficult childhood and the Sheep Man. This was once again an incredibly positive aspect because Murakami’s ability to dream up small but significant character traits is really admirable. The problem for me was that I had already encountered these characters before, not in the same shape and form, but definitely in their mindset. I had to stop half-way through the book and ask myself if I had read this book already, but then I concluded that it was just very(!) similar to everything else I had read from Murakami.
For me Yuki, the thirteen-year-old, was the element which made the book interesting because her troublesome relationship with her parents, her intuition and her attitude in general formed something which seemed intriguing, and Murakami managed to sustain this intrigue to the very end. Her story really evoked a strong point, one of abandonment, and I think that through the narrator one could feel the desperation and hopelessness of Yuki and in a way the narrator himself as he could not really help her, which is often the case.
The novel did not really have a plot, as it was filled with mysterious events which all blended together in order to create the finale. The characters talked a lot about their lives, while the narrator remained impartial and relatively uninvolved, just as always, they listened to a lot of music, cooked and ate a lot of food, drank a lot of alcohol and so on. And of course, there was another reality which tied in with everything that happened in the real world and existed as a tool with which to add an eerie feeling. All of this has been done in other books and has been executed in a much better fashion.
What Murakami did create splendidly and seamlessly once again was the idea of being disconnected from society. All of the characters do not really fit into the natural and average way of things, especially the narrator, which is why they understood each other so well. The feeling of loneliness and alienation really did resonate with me because he describes it so well, without even referring to it specifically. Even from the very beginning the narrator decides to leave his job for a while, because he can no longer exist in his routine, and it takes him a long time, until the mystery is solved, to pull himself together and decide to return to the ‘real world’. In addition to that, despite meeting people all the time, he cannot escape a certain hopelessness.
As far as the title of the book goes in relation to what the Sheep Man told the narrator, it seems like quite an interesting way of saying that one should let themselves be carried forward with whatever comes their way. An idea of using opportunities and surrendering oneself to even the most mysterious events that occur. There may be a more philosophical explanation, but I found this one to be sufficient.
That being said, all of this was nothing new. I remember, how excited I was when I read ‘A Wild Sheep Chase‘ and ‘Norwegian Wood‘ for the first time, because I momentarily fell in love with all the little things Murakami writes about. Those books were superior to this one anyway, but it seems that I need to take a break from Murakami for a while. I would still recommend him to everyone, because he writes beautifully and deals with major themes such as death, loss, loneliness, love and many more, so there is something for everyone in his books. I must say that I am envious of everyone who will read one of his books for the first time, but I am sure that after a year or two, when I will read a book of his again I will once again discover what I have lost.
I give this book three out of five wine bottles.
Books and wine. 