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Has anyone read this dark, picture book? I'm wondering if I understood it correctly.

The story seems to be a metaphor for growing up in a capitalistic world. We are expected to study and then imprisoned in a job where somebody else benefits from all our hard work. The sheep man is somebody who doesn't want to challenge the system. The girl represents love which can inspire us even after fading away, driving us to seek something more from life. The labyrinth and the library, so reminiscent of Borges' work, represent the various apparent choices in life, which inevitably lead to the same dissatisfying end. The dead bird represents the idealism of youth which can never be revived.

In general I would caution against over symbolizing Murakami. Is there such a term?
AAnyway you may be on to something, just perhaps not as neatly tied down as you think.
I found it too haunting to shrug off and rate it in the middle of his best to least best.

You make sense, I am not sure that the authored wanted to make a lot of sense.

Ah, perhaps you're right. Maybe it's intentionally vague so that anyone can relate to it.