Boku and the Rat's "Long Goodbye" - Kevin

 A Wild Sheep Chase was one of my first Murakami novels, and it quickly became my favorite after I finished it some 4 odd years ago. Since then, I have re-read both WCS and its companion novellas a handful of times, with each read further cementing it as my favorite of Murakami's works. That being said, what really captures my love for the Rat trilogy is its masterful handling of sentimentality, nostalgia, and the friendship between Boku and the Rat. 

While its supernatural and unusual storytelling elements draw me in the same way any other novel by Murakami would, it is the character dynamic between the story's main characters that leaves me with a feeling that has kept me coming back.

While the context provided in Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 is non-essential, I think it provides meaningful insight into our main characters' actions. For the Rat, we see him characterized as a man who is rash, nostalgic, and immature. In his struggle to handle his emotions, he abandons his hometown, his past girlfriend, and, for the most part, his dear friends Boku and J. In the case of Boku, we see that he and the Rat used to be close friends, with Boku always being there for the Rat in his times of need, however begrudgingly it may be.

This added context to the relationship between Boku and the Rat makes the events of WCS make more sense- the Rat's letters become more endearing, Boku's abstract journey to find his old friend (and the sheep by proxy) has more logic behind it, and most of all, the Rat's final goodbye becomes a lot more sentimental. The Rat has always been a character who struggled with goodbyes, and for him to set up this elaborate chase for his old friend is about as on-brand as I can imagine. It also explains his decision to end his life with the sheep inside him, as his decision-making has always been quick, rash, and driven by gut feeling rather than logic. 

Ultimately, I've always felt as if the relationship between Boku and the Rat is quite endearing, and the whole conclusion of the novel (from their conversation in the house to the scene in J's bar) has always felt so raw and emotional for me.

As with many other Murakami novels, I try not to attribute too much meaning or analysis to the supernatural elements in WCS, trying to focus more on the way that the book makes me feel. In this case, after reading it alongside A Long Goodbye, I feel as if Murakami captured the essence of a "Long Goodbye" perfectly, or at least much better than the way Marlowe and Terry ended their relationship. It feels real, emotional, and entirely possible given the context of Boku and Rat's relationship, capturing a heartfelt goodbye between two men who struggle to handle their feelings properly (however surreal the journey may have been). What I love about the book is the way that it can portray this alongside its strange setting.