10.-existentialism 16.-identity 1980s a-wild-sheep-chase a-wild-sheep-chase:-a-novel absurd absurdism absurdist absurdity adventure alienation allegorical alternate-reality alternative-reality animal-symbolism animals apocalyptic atmospheric betrayal bizarre character-driven chase coming-of-age consciousness conspiracy contemporary contemporary-fiction contemporary-literature counterculture covert-operations crime cult cult-classic cult-following culture-clash dark dark-comedy dark-humor darkness david-mitchell destiny detachment detective detective-fiction detective-story dream-like dreamlike dreams dystopia dystopian east-asian-literature eccentric eccentric-characters elusive enigma enigmatic escape existence existential existentialism experimental exploration fantastical fantasy fate fiction folklore friendship haruki-murakami haunting identity identity-crisis imagination immortality independence individuality intelligence introspection introspective isolation japan japanese japanese-culture japanese-fiction japanese-literature journey kafkaesque literary literary-fiction literary-thriller literature literature-in-translation literature-translation loneliness loner loss lost love love-story magic-realism magical magical-realism manipulation metafiction metaphysical metaphysical. metaphysics mind-bending missing-person modern modern-classic modern-fiction modern-literature modernism modernist-literature murakami murakami-style music mysterious mystery mystical myth mythology narrator nihilism noir non-linear-narrative nostalgia novel obsession oddities parallel-universe parallel-universes parallel-worlds paranormal philosophical philosophy ponderous pop-culture pop-culture-references postmodern postmodern-fiction postmodernism power-dynamics protagonist psychological pulp-fiction puzzling pynchon-esque quest quest-narrative quests quirky reality redemption romance romantic satire self-discovery sheep sheep-chase sheep-man social-commentary social-critique solitude spirit-animals spirituality storytelling subconscious supernatural supernatural-elements surreal surrealism surrealist surrealist-fiction suspense suspenseful symbolic symbolic-animals symbolism symbols talking-animals thought-provoking thriller thrillers tokyo transformation translated-fiction translation uncanny unconventional unconventional-love-story unexplained-phenomena unique-narrative urban urban-fantasy urban-life wild-sheep yakuza