Haruki Murakami

A Wild Sheep Chase

Translated by Alfred Birnbaum

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It all starts when a young corporate employee receives an injunction to destroy a photo of a sheep with a unique star-shaped marking. This sets in motion an odd series of events, sending him on an adventure to northern Japan involving strangely named characters, a disappearing girlfriend with superhuman hearing, glimpses into other realities, and … sheep. This Japanese surrealist novel has an internal logic the way dreams have internal logic—via metaphor and archetype, the reader experiences the story without being able to explain what it all means, and nevertheless thoroughly enjoys the ride.