A marvelous hybrid of mythology and mystery, A Wild Sheep Chase is the extraordinary literary thriller that launched Haruki Murakami’s international reputation.

It starts innocently enough: a twenty-something advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend and casually uses the image for an insurance campaign. What he doesn’t realize is that the postcard contains something far from ordinary—a mutant sheep with a star on its back. By using the photo, he unwittingly draws the attention of a mysterious man in black, who delivers a chilling ultimatum: find the sheep or face serious consequences.

Thus begins a surreal and elaborate journey that leads from the bustling cityscape of Tokyo to the remote, snow-covered mountains of northern Japan. Along the way, our protagonist faces strange encounters, mythic symbols, and the shadows of his own past. He must confront not just the elusive sheep, but also the limits of identity, tradition, and the haunting recesses of the self.

Quirky, cerebral, and utterly captivating, A Wild Sheep Chase is Murakami at his most imaginative and profound.