A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami is a wonderful combination of fantasy, mythology, mystery, comedy, and drama that leads the reader through the journey of one man's quest for his own identity, as well as for a very special sheep. Along the path, the man learns that not everyone is as they appear, that there are forces beyond one's control, and that even the weakest person can be a hero. In addition, he finds that in the end, it is his own mediocrity and selfish view of life that is responsible for much of his undoing.