I've just finished (read it on the two long plane journeys to and from Europe to be specific) Haruki Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase. Murakami is apparently the flavour of the decade in Japan and Korea and after reading this book I can see why. An unlikely story of a hunt for a particular sheep that takes our rootless protagonist from an almost Philip K. Dick version of Tokyo, up to Hokkaido in search of said sheep and a friend called Rat. Reading it at 30,000 feet and finishing it after having seen Kill Bill and Jerry Springer The Opera blunted my efforts to read into the metaphors of the book, but the author is popular among the young in this part of Asia and it is clear to see why. He addresses issues of the disenchantment of current Japanese (Asian?) society and its unfulfilled promises to the young. The Philip K. Dick reference may be a little over the top, but if you want, amongst other things, to get an inkling of the disillusionment of the salaried-classes here in Japan, this one is for you.
Posted by Joe at November 5, 2003 11:09 PMI've been curious about this book. I've heard Murakami is stream-of-consciousness, which is definitely my preferred style. But I've also heard he's crap.
Actually, come to think of it, that could mean he's good stream-of-consciousness ....
Theodore Sturgeon's Law: Ninety percent of everything is crap.
Posted by: DJ at November 6, 2003 06:32 AM'Sheep' is not stream of consciousness - unless those metaphors I had problems with can be classed as that. He is no Martin Amis either, but I'm tempted to put them in the same boat.
Sturgeon was definitely an optimist. The figure is WAY higher than 90%.
Posted by: Joe at November 6, 2003 08:41 AM