I think most accurately 3.5 stars.

Exactly what it purports to be: a wild sheep chase. Our protagonist sets out to a far corner of Japan in search of a mutant sheep on a deadline imposed by a mysteriously powerful man in black. Along the way we meet a girl with beautiful ears, the perhaps saddest cat in a Murakami book yet, a chaffeur who calls up God every night, and many people associated with sheep.

I actually liked A Wild Sheep Chase better than some of the other Murakami fiction I've read (so far, only South of the Border, West of the Sun; Norwegian Wood; and not sure if it beats Kafka on the Shore). With this novel I think the things I liked about the other ones — the humor, the easily accepted oddness — were more prominent, and maybe the humor and adventure made up for this feeling I get with a lot of Murakami (so far) that he's trying too hard. In A Wild Sheep Chase it felt easier and more natural, even though it was maybe the weirdest so far in a lot of ways. However, in the end it still missed the mark a little for me. It was a fun ride but I'm not exactly sure where it led me.

Also, the Murakami protagonist, four books in, bothers me in that he seems to be this perpetually sort-of, though not all, lame dude who ends up with some amazing, vibrant, beautiful woman. Which, although I'm only three books in to that, I am calling in my head "Scott Pilgrim syndrome."

All in all, I would recommend A Wild Sheep Chase. It's well-written and diverting and funny and exciting, even if you're not sure what it all adds up to.

I think I'm ready for The Wind-up Bird Chronicle now.