Haruki Murakami is said to be one of the most popular writers of contemporary Japanese fiction, who capture nostalgia like no other write I know. Murakami's books are genuine, surrealistic and psychologically challenging. One of his best qualities as a writer is to use obscure references that suggests different meanings for the story.
A Wild Sheep Chase is a dreamy detective quest for lost sheep, the meaning of which remains unexplained, but is open to interpretation:
“I don’t know, there’s something of Moby Dick about it.”
“Moby Dick?”
“Sure, the thrill of hunting something down.”
“A mammoth, for example?” said my girlfriend.
“Sure, it’s all related,” said the clerk. “Actually, I named this place the Dolphin Hotel because of a scene with dolphins in Moby Dick.”
“Oh-ho,” said I. “But if that’s the case, wouldn’t have been better to name it the Whale Hotel?”
“Whales don’t have quite the image,” he admitted, with some regret.
The chase or the missing white sheep is full of dubious imagery, dreamy sequences and simple truths:
"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 in coming. Sometimes it only manifests itself posthumously. Therefore, should I impart you with no truth at this juncture, that is through no fault of mine, nor yours... You and I shall move it forward. By discussing matters in all honesty, we shall proceed one step at a time closer to the truth."
In the end, the readers are free to interpret the meaning of this book as they like, but they won't forget the chase.
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