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Available
Call number
Series
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Publication
Harvill Secker (2011), epub
Description
An ode to George Orwell's "1984" told in alternating male and female voices relates the stories of Aomame, an assassin for a secret organization who discovers that she has been transported to an alternate reality, and Tengo, a mathematics lecturer and novice writer.
User reviews
LibraryThing member sarahbest
It's hard to write much about this book's main characters, structure, and plot without giving away its joys. The novel, which exceeds 900 pages in length, is in some ways an old fashioned mystery. The main trajectory and atmosphere of the novel reminds me of the film Chinatown and of old Humphrey
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Bogart movies. But it's also a fantasy (1Q84 is alternative version of 1984 in our world) and a romance, with literary references and quotations from Proust, Jung, Shakespeare, Chekov and others woven in throughout that deepen the way that the novel resonates with me. The female and male characters in the novel are much better balanced, the female characters much more well-rounded, than in "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" or many other contemporary novels written by men. One thing that I will warn other readers about is that there is an excess of expository text in the first third / first volume of the novel (which is divided into three volumes), which serves the purpose of establishing the main character, their backgrounds, physical characteristics, their preferences, and everyday routines in what seems at first like excessive, banal (but also humanistic) detail. This can make the pacing of the novel seem excruciatingly slow at times. Indeed I read over 10 other books while slowly making my way through the first third. But the payoff at the end is worth many hours of dedicated reading - the emotional payoff is subtle, layered, deeply felt and hard won; there are deeply beautiful portraits of men and women that represent humanity at its most hopeful and most pathetic; and the book's delicately interwoven narratives and mysteries resolve, in an ending which seems to both successfully wrap up the plot of the story while accepting that there are philosophical questions that we will never be able to answer, that life has both delights and challenges that we are never going to be able to predict as one predicts the plot of a novel. This is definitely the most satisfying novel that I have read this year, and perhaps in the past few years, although I think that it requires quite a deal of patience and acceptance on the part of the reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member scperryz
I kept trying to like it and there were definitely good moments but by the time I got to the alleged wrap up I was left saying "really? that's all you got?"
LibraryThing member gregandlarry
Great book!
Draws you very slowly and subtly into the world with two moons.
Complex and fascinating characters.
Draws you very slowly and subtly into the world with two moons.
Complex and fascinating characters.
LibraryThing member pgmcc
1Q84 Books One & Two are really a single book. The subtlety of the dividing line between one book and the next escaped me. It just appeared to be an arbitrary delineation of the end of one book and the beginning of another; perhaps I'm just not sensitive enough.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book. Its
Having finished the book (or "books" if you prefer) I can say it (they) constitute a good, enjoyable novel. I have not started Book 3 but will do so soon. If Book 3 had never come into existence I would be happy that Books 1 & 2 were sufficient in themselves to be regarded as a good work of fiction.
The primary theme in the book is violence against women. However, here are many other themes worked into the story; namely, love, family (in particular parent/child relationships), religious sects, justice, helplessnes, isolation, etc... There is also a strong "coming of age" element. In addition, there are many episodes of sexual gymnastics. I hasten to add that I was enjoying the book before I reached Chapter 3, and I didn't enjoyed it any less having read the hot lesbian encounter in that chapter.
Another message from the book is that the bad guy may not necessarily be the bad guy; he/she could be a victim too.
The translation by Jay Rubin was excellent. I say this based on the easy flow of the book's English rather than from any knowledge of how well the English reflected the original Japanese meaning. One piece had me puzzled though, and I don't know if it was due to literal translation, differences in Japanese language structure, an error or whatever; it was where one of the characters asks about the difference between lunatic and insane, and the words are both described as being adjectives. Not a major issue, but it has me curious about the Japanese language.
Also, this book is the first instance where I came across a record player pick-up arm being referred to as a tone arm. Having grown up in the vinyl age and used turntables all my life I tripped up on this term. One lives and learns.
This book encouraged me to look at the geography of Japan and to finally go an look at a map to see were all the places I've heard of in the past are actually located.
In summary, an enjoyable read with some thought provoking elements.
Regardless, I enjoyed the book. Its
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structure worked well; chapters alternated between the viewpoint of one of the two primary characters and that of the other.Having finished the book (or "books" if you prefer) I can say it (they) constitute a good, enjoyable novel. I have not started Book 3 but will do so soon. If Book 3 had never come into existence I would be happy that Books 1 & 2 were sufficient in themselves to be regarded as a good work of fiction.
The primary theme in the book is violence against women. However, here are many other themes worked into the story; namely, love, family (in particular parent/child relationships), religious sects, justice, helplessnes, isolation, etc... There is also a strong "coming of age" element. In addition, there are many episodes of sexual gymnastics. I hasten to add that I was enjoying the book before I reached Chapter 3, and I didn't enjoyed it any less having read the hot lesbian encounter in that chapter.
Another message from the book is that the bad guy may not necessarily be the bad guy; he/she could be a victim too.
The translation by Jay Rubin was excellent. I say this based on the easy flow of the book's English rather than from any knowledge of how well the English reflected the original Japanese meaning. One piece had me puzzled though, and I don't know if it was due to literal translation, differences in Japanese language structure, an error or whatever; it was where one of the characters asks about the difference between lunatic and insane, and the words are both described as being adjectives. Not a major issue, but it has me curious about the Japanese language.
Also, this book is the first instance where I came across a record player pick-up arm being referred to as a tone arm. Having grown up in the vinyl age and used turntables all my life I tripped up on this term. One lives and learns.
This book encouraged me to look at the geography of Japan and to finally go an look at a map to see were all the places I've heard of in the past are actually located.
In summary, an enjoyable read with some thought provoking elements.
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LibraryThing member YossarianXeno
Murakami novels are hard to pin down or put down, and all three books of 1Q84 are no exception. You could simply state that it is a story about a brilliant young author (Fuka-Eri) and her experiences as the daughter of the leader of a religious cult (Sakigake), the leader's death at the hands of a
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hit woman (Aomame) and her (Aomame's) love for a man (Tengo) she knew briefly as a ten year old but hasn't seen for twenty years. On top of that list is the private detective (Ushikawa) who is seeking to track down Aomane on behalf of Sakigake. Except, of course, being a Murakami novel it is much more than that. The characters move in and out of the ethereal alternative world of 1Q84. There is more of a structured plot in this novel than is typical of Murakami, yet still his use of language means the story almost drifts, unfolding through evocative use of language, focused on the emotions and experiences of the lead characters, though all the while things move at a fair pace. One thing the lead characters have in common is their self sufficiency. It is a joy to read, yet as the story concludes in Book Three many things - not least 1Q84 - still feel unexplained. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkYoung
A dream book. Were the first stories ever told dreams? This story has all the qualities of a dream; even the quality, that the strangest things seem somehow to be real, while at the same time unreal.Like when you accept calmly that you can fly in a dream, while knowing that it is strange, while
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experiencing it as real. The dream story is full of Jungian symbolism,a modern fable for our collective conscience, trying to find what is real, trying to understand our psyche. Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
I can understand why some people wh have reviewed this book found it difficult to get through. The first part could seem quite slow at times, however as usual, Murakami seems to touch you in a way that no other author can once you get past the surface of any of his stories and begin to understand
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the coming together of the narrative threads. This is beautiful writing and what you have here is essentially a love story that is compelling and heart wrenching. Absolutely required reading! Show Less
LibraryThing member mojomomma
No wonder it took me a month to read this. It's three freakin' books! I read it on a Kindle and it took forever. Too difficult to explain or summarize, but in an odd way, hard to put down. I just had to see where Aomame and Tengo finally ended up
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
An amazing novel. I started with some tre[trepidation as i have occasionally struggled with Murakami in the past. However, I was completely captivated by this novel within a few pages, and certainly well before the end of the first chapter.
The novel is set in 1984 and focuses on two separate
Meanwhile Tengo, Aomame's contemporary, is excited by a manuscript he has just read. Although his principal occupation is as a maths teacher in a Tokyo cramming school, his great ambition is to be a writer. As the book opens he has had some minor success in having a few short stories published, and he also writes a fake astrology column for a magazine. He also works as a screener for a literary competition, sifting through manuscripts submitted for consideration for a literary prize, similar to our Costa Prize. One of these has been submitted by a seventeen year old girl and though haltingly written sets out a fascinating story involving life in a secret sect where strange, almost supernatural event seem to happen.
Murakami alternates between Aomame and Tengo, and with each new chapter pulls the reader deeper and deeper into an utterly absorbing story, and effortlessly ensures total suspension of disbelief.
By far the finest novel I have read this year.
The novel is set in 1984 and focuses on two separate
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characters, both aged around thirty, living in Tokyo. We are first introduced to Aomame (pronounced Ah-oh-mah-may), a young woman travelling on an elevated freeway in the back of a luxurious taxi. Finding the traffic gridlocked she decided to leave the cab and descend to ground level by means of a conveniently-situated emergency staircase. From that point on everything in her slife seems to change.Meanwhile Tengo, Aomame's contemporary, is excited by a manuscript he has just read. Although his principal occupation is as a maths teacher in a Tokyo cramming school, his great ambition is to be a writer. As the book opens he has had some minor success in having a few short stories published, and he also writes a fake astrology column for a magazine. He also works as a screener for a literary competition, sifting through manuscripts submitted for consideration for a literary prize, similar to our Costa Prize. One of these has been submitted by a seventeen year old girl and though haltingly written sets out a fascinating story involving life in a secret sect where strange, almost supernatural event seem to happen.
Murakami alternates between Aomame and Tengo, and with each new chapter pulls the reader deeper and deeper into an utterly absorbing story, and effortlessly ensures total suspension of disbelief.
By far the finest novel I have read this year.
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LibraryThing member gbsallery
Murakami's greatest work, without a shadow of a doubt. More familiar for delivering perfectly-formed surreal morsels, in 1Q84 the delight is the sustained banquet of continued strangeness. Lacking none of his shorter works' precision, this work replaces solipsistic fragments with related and
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intertwining narratives, and of course more character development than would ever be possible in a shorter form. Utterly gripping, it is at once minimalist and full of luscious detail; a page-turner whose every sentence has been honed to perfection. A masterpiece. Show Less
LibraryThing member tixylix
It only took me 8 days to rip through these two novels, partly because I was on holiday but mostly because it was so gripping and page-turning. The plot revolves around three central characters - Aomame, Tengo and Fuka-Eri - and is set in 1984. Each experiences transition into a parallel world
Murakami's writing is fairly pared back (although not as much as Fuka-Eri's!), allowing the reader to make connections before the characters and to picture the settings with their own imagination and not providing the reader with a huge amount of description. The narrative alternates between Aomame's and Tengo's lives and the chapters being short, I was desperate to get back to Aomame's story but then getting engrossed in Tengo's, which explains how I read 600+ pages in a few days. Book 1 led straight into Book 2 and luckily I have Book 3 (from the public library) ready and waiting to get stuck into.
A recommended read but I think I'd probably suggest reading Norwegian Wood or Kafka on the Shore first if you haven't read any other Murakami books.
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(1984 becomes 1Q84, where there are two moons) and all other attempts to set the scene would spoil the plot I think.Murakami's writing is fairly pared back (although not as much as Fuka-Eri's!), allowing the reader to make connections before the characters and to picture the settings with their own imagination and not providing the reader with a huge amount of description. The narrative alternates between Aomame's and Tengo's lives and the chapters being short, I was desperate to get back to Aomame's story but then getting engrossed in Tengo's, which explains how I read 600+ pages in a few days. Book 1 led straight into Book 2 and luckily I have Book 3 (from the public library) ready and waiting to get stuck into.
A recommended read but I think I'd probably suggest reading Norwegian Wood or Kafka on the Shore first if you haven't read any other Murakami books.
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LibraryThing member Vikz.Richards
This review will also consider 1q84 vol 3. To paraphrase Douglas Adams, 1Q84 is big very big and just as you think that you understand it it gets stranger. It is physically big, spilling into three volumes (with no less than 300 pages each). Since I have the Kindle version, I have no idea how much
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it weighs but I am betting it's not light weight. Its scope is surreal, (view spoiler). Thematically, it's large, covering; publishing, writing, gender, religion, cults, domestic violence, memory and revenge (just to name a few of its' themes). It also crosses many genre borders; literary fiction, magic realism, romance, mystery, horror, weird fiction, world fiction, Japanese fiction and (maybe) epic fantasy. I suggest that you plunge in feet first (or heart first) and enjoy bathing in this warm bath of a book. (thanks for the two headed god of Sword and Laser for that metaphor) Show Less
LibraryThing member Tid
(Note: I've tried to avoid spoilers, except those which are already given on the book's cover!)
Imagine the following scenario: the young Lewis Carroll's publisher is sent Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass as an entry for a prestigious writer's prize. He contacts Carroll, and finally
Carroll becomes absorbed in the story, and his rewrite of it. The book wins the prize, becomes a best-seller, and Alice becomes a media darling. Then she disappears suddenly. Carroll has already found himself drawn into her life, but more than that - he is drawn into the very world she depicts in her story…
This, in essence, is the meat of one half of Murakami's classic. The names of course are different (the novel has nothing to do with Lewis Carroll or Alice - that was just my reviewer's fantasy), but the creation of a fantastical 'other world', which is contained within this one, is one of Murakami's trademarks.
The other half of the novel is the story of a young woman who - at the prompting of an eccentric wealthy dowager, commits acts of 'final revenge' upon men who have irredeemably committed acts of unspeakable violence against women. This young woman - Aomame - at first seems to be entirely separate from Tengo (the young writer), and Murakami alternates chapters between each of them. As the story develops however, we find that the two are inextricably linked, stemming back to a moment in a classroom when both were 10 years old, even though their lives diverged after that.
1Q84 is Murakami's classic. As the virtual inventor of the magic realism genre, he brilliantly constructs a believable world where the boundaries of fiction and reality blur. To give just one example : after Tengo gradually realises that he is in the world depicted by Fuka-Eri (the "Alice" character), he recognises that there are elements of it that weren't in her original story, but which he himself had added as part of his rewrite. Aomame, too, finds disturbing differences in the familiar world (policemens' uniforms have suddenly changed, for example), and spends time in the library reading past newspaper reports trying to find out major events she "knows" didn't actually happen, at least, not in the world she is familiar with. And she sees two moons in the sky…
Murakami's genius is to bring utterly surreal elements - complete fantasy - into our everyday world, and make them believable. His characters continue to commute to work, prepare and eat meals, form relationships and have sex; everything in fact, which one would expect from a standard work. His central characters are, as always, self-aware and self-critical, yet outsiders too : they live in our everyday ordinary world, but somehow stand apart in some way. Tengo had an unhappy childhood and prefers to live on his own, with few luxuries and contented with his spare life: a frustrated maths genius and would-be author who teaches in a cram school. Aomame is even more stripped down; despite being a highly competent martial arts instructor, her apartment is bare, and she forms very few relationships. She loves only the 'boy in the classroom she met when she was 10 years old', but she doesn't try to find him, believing they may someday 'meet by chance'.
Murakami blends the fictional and the real together, weaves the mundane and the fantastic seamlessly, such that you never feel for even a moment that you are not in the real, everyday world. You enter the lives of his ordinary yet extraordinary characters and you know them. You ARE them. That's his genius.
Imagine the following scenario: the young Lewis Carroll's publisher is sent Alice's Adventures Through the Looking Glass as an entry for a prestigious writer's prize. He contacts Carroll, and finally
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cajoles him into doing a major rewrite of the book, as it's "a compelling story but badly written". Carroll insists on meeting Alice first, to get her agreement to this 'publishing fraud'. Alice turns out to be a beautiful but very enigmatic and taciturn young girl; after meeting Carroll, she agrees to the project.Carroll becomes absorbed in the story, and his rewrite of it. The book wins the prize, becomes a best-seller, and Alice becomes a media darling. Then she disappears suddenly. Carroll has already found himself drawn into her life, but more than that - he is drawn into the very world she depicts in her story…
This, in essence, is the meat of one half of Murakami's classic. The names of course are different (the novel has nothing to do with Lewis Carroll or Alice - that was just my reviewer's fantasy), but the creation of a fantastical 'other world', which is contained within this one, is one of Murakami's trademarks.
The other half of the novel is the story of a young woman who - at the prompting of an eccentric wealthy dowager, commits acts of 'final revenge' upon men who have irredeemably committed acts of unspeakable violence against women. This young woman - Aomame - at first seems to be entirely separate from Tengo (the young writer), and Murakami alternates chapters between each of them. As the story develops however, we find that the two are inextricably linked, stemming back to a moment in a classroom when both were 10 years old, even though their lives diverged after that.
1Q84 is Murakami's classic. As the virtual inventor of the magic realism genre, he brilliantly constructs a believable world where the boundaries of fiction and reality blur. To give just one example : after Tengo gradually realises that he is in the world depicted by Fuka-Eri (the "Alice" character), he recognises that there are elements of it that weren't in her original story, but which he himself had added as part of his rewrite. Aomame, too, finds disturbing differences in the familiar world (policemens' uniforms have suddenly changed, for example), and spends time in the library reading past newspaper reports trying to find out major events she "knows" didn't actually happen, at least, not in the world she is familiar with. And she sees two moons in the sky…
Murakami's genius is to bring utterly surreal elements - complete fantasy - into our everyday world, and make them believable. His characters continue to commute to work, prepare and eat meals, form relationships and have sex; everything in fact, which one would expect from a standard work. His central characters are, as always, self-aware and self-critical, yet outsiders too : they live in our everyday ordinary world, but somehow stand apart in some way. Tengo had an unhappy childhood and prefers to live on his own, with few luxuries and contented with his spare life: a frustrated maths genius and would-be author who teaches in a cram school. Aomame is even more stripped down; despite being a highly competent martial arts instructor, her apartment is bare, and she forms very few relationships. She loves only the 'boy in the classroom she met when she was 10 years old', but she doesn't try to find him, believing they may someday 'meet by chance'.
Murakami blends the fictional and the real together, weaves the mundane and the fantastic seamlessly, such that you never feel for even a moment that you are not in the real, everyday world. You enter the lives of his ordinary yet extraordinary characters and you know them. You ARE them. That's his genius.
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LibraryThing member xuebi
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami is perhaps his most expansive and adventurous work yet. Two characters, who are inextricably linked, enter a version of the world in which there are two moons in the sky and that is just the beginning of the strange occurrences. The complex and shifting narrative
This edition combines the first and second volumes. The first volume is much more an intricate telling of the two protagonists' lives, the minutiae of everyday life in Tokyo in spite of the shifting world around them. In the second volume, the magical realist elements become more prominent and the story gradually gains momentum, while maintaining its introspective feeling, looking at the daily lives of Aomame and Tengo. At times though it does seem repetitive but this serves to emphasise the daily lives of the protagonists, and Murakami's attention to detail.
A particular favourite excerpt was the "Town of the Cats" short story that served to encapsulate the magical realism and surrealism that permeates Murakami's writings. That piece alone is worth expanding and developing.
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continuously shifts between Aomame and Tengo (the two main characters so far) as Murakami explores all manner of varying themes: religion, murder, family love etc. This is then a typical Murakami book blending his love of reading, jazz, and his trademark magical realism.This edition combines the first and second volumes. The first volume is much more an intricate telling of the two protagonists' lives, the minutiae of everyday life in Tokyo in spite of the shifting world around them. In the second volume, the magical realist elements become more prominent and the story gradually gains momentum, while maintaining its introspective feeling, looking at the daily lives of Aomame and Tengo. At times though it does seem repetitive but this serves to emphasise the daily lives of the protagonists, and Murakami's attention to detail.
A particular favourite excerpt was the "Town of the Cats" short story that served to encapsulate the magical realism and surrealism that permeates Murakami's writings. That piece alone is worth expanding and developing.
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LibraryThing member TheWasp
As 10 year old school students, Tengo and Aomame share a "moment" which links them together even though they soon become separated. We meet them 20 years later each following their own path but their lives again become linked through their association with Sakigake, an alternative commune with
The storyline is most unusual although engaging. I felt the writing somewhat stilted, but perhaps this is intentional. Also some unusual behaviours., such as Tengo,s response to older girlfriends abrupt ending of a relationship, or his reaction (or lack of) to his missing publisher. Or the taxi driver advising Aomame that the traffic is heavy on the road and perhaps she should go to the toilet before they leave!
The ending to book 2 was not very satisfying and hopefully book 3 will provide some answers.
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mystical practicesThe storyline is most unusual although engaging. I felt the writing somewhat stilted, but perhaps this is intentional. Also some unusual behaviours., such as Tengo,s response to older girlfriends abrupt ending of a relationship, or his reaction (or lack of) to his missing publisher. Or the taxi driver advising Aomame that the traffic is heavy on the road and perhaps she should go to the toilet before they leave!
The ending to book 2 was not very satisfying and hopefully book 3 will provide some answers.
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LibraryThing member johnwbeha
This is the first of Haruki Murakami books that I have read and I am certainly going to read the rest of his oeuvre, although I am totally sure that this is not typical of them. The inside back dust cover describes 1Q84 as hypnotically addictive, which I think is very accurate. I usually read books
I don't want to describe the plot (partly because reviews are not the place for scenarios) but basically because I couldn't. Do I recommend it? Of course, I have given it five stars, but I recognise it will not be to everyone's taste. You will need to appreciate a spot of fantasy and be patient with it, it is very long, but, in my opinion, well worth the effort. There is a book three - I cannot wait, but I will need to, to allow the impact books one and two have made on me.
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fairly quickly but this has taken me over two weeks. Why. Firstly, because the writing is wonderful, which means I must applaud the work of the translator, Jay Rubin, who has produced a book that could only have come from Japan, whilst maintaining, what I am sure, is Murakami's eloquence. Secondly, the plot is so incredibly intricate, with lots of digressions that seem incidental put which prove to be integral.I don't want to describe the plot (partly because reviews are not the place for scenarios) but basically because I couldn't. Do I recommend it? Of course, I have given it five stars, but I recognise it will not be to everyone's taste. You will need to appreciate a spot of fantasy and be patient with it, it is very long, but, in my opinion, well worth the effort. There is a book three - I cannot wait, but I will need to, to allow the impact books one and two have made on me.
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LibraryThing member KittyCunningham
I've tried twice in 2 formats and I just can't get through this.
LibraryThing member missizicks
1Q84 is a real tour de force of a novel, mixing present day surreality with sci-fi, long lost love, and the tenacity of self-belief. I remember seeing the book in Japanese when we were in Tokyo long before it was published in the UK and wishing that I could read Japanese well enough to tackle
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Murakami in his native tongue. But the wait for the translation was worth it. Show Less
LibraryThing member sarahlh
I finished this 900 page book in four days; I couldn't bear the thought of putting it down for too long because I just had to read the next chapter. This is a fantastic explosive mind-bending work of fiction and how can this not be one of the best novels of 2011? The more I think about it, the more
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the various pieces seamlessly fit together in one tight narrative. Not a single page is wasted. This is just another example of why Murakami is one of the best writers in this recent era of fiction, end of discussion. Already on my Favorites shelf. Show Less
Awards
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (Longlist — 2012)
Language
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
9.37 inches
ISBN
1846554071 / 9781846554070
Local notes
Twenty-something drifters have their lives thrown into question by a series of unusual events over which they have little control. Familiar Murakami tropes are here: jazz, classical music, and 1960s rock provides the soundtrack to a novel essentially about disaffection, free will, love, and loneliness. Along the way, alternative worlds, cats, and cult religion ensnare the characters, forcing them to reappraise themselves and the world around them.