1Q84 (1Q84 #1-3)
by Haruki Murakami
Vintage International | January 22, 2013
Status: ALL 1,157 PAGES!
The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.
A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 - “Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.
As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.
A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s - 1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.
First of all, I want to celebrate finishing this dinosaur of a book.
I thought this was a peculiar story, but in a good way. It's very imaginative, out there, and compelling. It's as if 1Q84 is Air Chrysalis. (In theory, they are the same book). Because the concept is so outlandish, the rules, and things of that nature, are unknown. Murakami does, mostly, a great job developing the world and organization. However, speculations the characters have become "laws"/reality. It feels made up and I can't accept it. I love having everything fact-base and concrete. Because it wasn't stated as a fact, it was hard to accept. These speculations do make sense, if you really think about it, but it's too metaphysical and there isn't a good transition. Take Tengo's mom for example. Murakami mentions Tengo's mom, stops mentioning her, and then revisits the situation while dropping a big truth bomb. It's annoying to read one thing and have something from the past resurface and disrupt the story.
I read a lot of spoilers while reading and I'm happy I did. I stumbled upon these spoilers when I asked Google a question. The answers made comprehension so much easier and the book more enjoyable/bearable! Throughout reading this book (series), there were many plot-holes and inconsistencies. Murakami just stopped talking about certain things and it leaves readers questioning. It's really frustrating to not know what really happens. It's best to read this book with some "guided questions" or with you book club members. The discussions would be amazing and there's a lot to talk about.
So in PART 2 of this "review chronicle", I mentioned how there's going to be a new point of view and how I wasn't going to enjoy it. I was right for the most part, but I thought what Murakami did with this character was really interesting and ingenious. Murakami was still able to incorporate him and continue the story in a creative point of view. I would never think to do that. I would have dropped that character. Now, I have a new writing trick up my sleeve. The character's last few chapters were gripping. I loved the tension Tamaru (Hannibal Lector vibes from him) created. It's like watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was in suspense and going crazy. It's definitely one of the most exciting parts in this whole book.
The main thing I'm really happy about is that there's a conclusion that tied the part up together. The story actually ended. However, the plot [third part] was rather flat-line for me. At least it wasn't another exposition and rising action. The motifs began to get old and everything started going in circles. The book became really tired.
I read a lot of spoilers while reading and I'm happy I did. I stumbled upon these spoilers when I asked Google a question. The answers made comprehension so much easier and the book more enjoyable/bearable! Throughout reading this book (series), there were many plot-holes and inconsistencies. Murakami just stopped talking about certain things and it leaves readers questioning. It's really frustrating to not know what really happens. It's best to read this book with some "guided questions" or with you book club members. The discussions would be amazing and there's a lot to talk about.
So in PART 2 of this "review chronicle", I mentioned how there's going to be a new point of view and how I wasn't going to enjoy it. I was right for the most part, but I thought what Murakami did with this character was really interesting and ingenious. Murakami was still able to incorporate him and continue the story in a creative point of view. I would never think to do that. I would have dropped that character. Now, I have a new writing trick up my sleeve. The character's last few chapters were gripping. I loved the tension Tamaru (Hannibal Lector vibes from him) created. It's like watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I was in suspense and going crazy. It's definitely one of the most exciting parts in this whole book.
The main thing I'm really happy about is that there's a conclusion that tied the part up together. The story actually ended. However, the plot [third part] was rather flat-line for me. At least it wasn't another exposition and rising action. The motifs began to get old and everything started going in circles. The book became really tired.
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