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A Wild Sheep Chase (The Rat, #3)

Questions About A Wild Sheep Chase (The Rat, #3)

by Haruki Murakami

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Answered Questions (12)

Is this a stand alone book, or part of a series?
Livia It's part 3 but I read it before knowing that it was part of a series and when reading it, you wouldn't even think that it was a series. It's not like…m´Ç°ù±ðIt's part 3 but I read it before knowing that it was part of a series and when reading it, you wouldn't even think that it was a series. It's not like other authors who sometimes built stories one upon another. Each book is a stand-alone in itself and doesn't depend on earlier books.(less)
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The Rat 1 is hear the wind sing, the second one is Pinball, the third is a wild sheep chase, and the last one must be dance dance dance, I wonder why these were called the Rat, since I did not see the Tat appeared in Dance x3?.
Ron Record We cannot tell you why Dance Dance Dance is included in the Rat series because that would be a spoiler. Read A Wild Sheep Chase and you will understan…m´Ç°ù±ðWe cannot tell you why Dance Dance Dance is included in the Rat series because that would be a spoiler. Read A Wild Sheep Chase and you will understand. Then read Dance Dance Dance, it is magnificent.(less)
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What was the significance of the girl at the beginning of the book? (She's the girl whose funeral the unnamed main character goes to, the one who the main character refers to as the girl who sleeps with everyone.)
Matjaž MaleÅ¡iÄ I think that her significance is making atmosphere which throws you immediately in dark blue mood. Beginning of the book has to be strong to make you …m´Ç°ù±ðI think that her significance is making atmosphere which throws you immediately in dark blue mood. Beginning of the book has to be strong to make you read further. And obviously the story of "girl who sleeps with everyone", reads tones of books and finally dies age 26 hit by the truck, is very overwhelming.(less)
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What do the sheep represent?
Ryan
This answer contains spoilers� (view spoiler)
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What in the world does this even mean? "It is rather our role to take what unrealistic factors that exist and to work them into a more sophisticated form that might be grounded in the grand scheme of reality. The doings of men run to unrealities. Why is that? Because it appears simpler. Added to which, there are circumstances whereby unreality contrives to create an impression that overwhelms reality."
Francesca "it is rather our role..." = To me this part means that it is part of the human experience to take what life throws at us that's unexpected("unrealist…m´Ç°ù±ð"it is rather our role..." = To me this part means that it is part of the human experience to take what life throws at us that's unexpected("unrealistic factors") and work it into our lives and make the best out of it("grounded into the grand scheme of reality")

"the doings of men.." = This part means that when people do things, like create advanced societies and have sophisticated conversations about philosophy, we are going to run into problems like paradoxes in philosophy or really difficult problems that come from societal constructs(like now that we made society, we have to deal with taxes, which aren't technically real but are imposed upon us in society therefore we must obey) "appears simpler" speaks to how society makes things sound really easy because we have made an advanced society where healthcare, if it's accessible, is somewhat easy compared to 'caveman' times.

"added to which..." = this part is the most confusing but I see it as all of our societal constructs coming together to make life harder than it is or should be because we advanced so far that when we are faced with, say, a really odd occurrence or coincidence or some kind of 'spiritual experience' that is outside our "reality"(known science, or current social structures, for example) we can become confused and lost because of all these "unrealistic" things we have already broken up into very small pieces and made part of our society(for example-- for many people religion can be a ritual and it's a comforting, integral part of their lives but if they were to have an extremely intense survival experience that culminated in a near-death escape from an animal and religion got them through it... it's going to be harder for that person to go back into society with that massive 'unreality' experience behind them... but they might keep it to themselves in order to be part of 'normal society' even though religion once was a comfort and courage for people who regularly did things like fight animals in the wilderness)

to me, Murakami is making a point about civilization and its dangers/our reactions to strange experiences and how people make them part of their reality. doesn't mean I'm "right", though, as this is 100% open to interpretation :)(less)
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