Haruki Murakami

The internationally best-selling and award-winning author of such works as What I Talk About When I Talk About Running presents a psychologically charged tale that draws on Orwellian themes. Reprint. 125,000 first printing.

1Q84

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.

Alec Karlen

“His face looked very peaceful. It was like-a windless day at the end of autumn, when a single leaf falls from a tree. But maybe that's not a good way to put it."

This is Murakami quoting Anton Chekhov but I thought it was beautiful

While all around there is not a single living soul, not a bird, not a fly and it is beyond comprehension who the waves are roaring for, who listens to them at nights here, what they want, and, finally, who they would roar for when I was gone.

Kai Hatcher

The year is 1Q84. This is the real world, there is no doubt about that. But in this world, there are two moons in the sky. In this world, the fates of two people, Tengo and Aomame, are closely intertwined. They are each, in their own way, doing something very dangerous. And in this world, there seems no way to save them both. Something extraordinary is starting.

Not sure what the book was about. But I enjoyed it while reading

Aubrey Hicks

** spoiler alert **
           At its heart, 1Q84 is a love story: a love story between lovers who must overcome great obstacles before they can be together. Murakami brings his unique kind of magic realism to Tokyo, 1984. Our lovers, Tengo and Aomame fall in love 20 years before the story begins but are separated by time and circumstances.

Unassuming math teacher and aspiring novelist, Tengo meets a manic pixie girl who has a wonderful story to tell without the perfect words. Once he undertakes the task to re-write the story he finds himself entangled in a adventure that takes him out of the reality he’s lived in his whole life into a world filled with strange beings devoted to driving the narration. Aomame enters this same “unreality” through a loophole. But once she steps foot into this world, she is noticed by the beings and must navigate her path with only half the story. 

Our task as reader is to follow them through all the twisted longing for each other until, we hope, they finally meet and hold hands once again. 

Murakami fills his world with interesting characters and proceeds to try to teach them the meaning of true love, the meaning of desire. 1Q84 isn’t my favorite. It’s very long and filled with lots of winding paths which make the pacing drag a bit – but there is something so evocative about his writing that I can’t give it any less than the highest rating. Even in translation, the words burrow into my brain and when I look up from the page I feel this intense sense of déjà vu, or maybe dreamsickness. Its like the story was always there, he just chiseled away at the marble in my brain to unearth it. 

I felt this sense of déjà vu most strongly with the Windup Bird Chronicles, and again with 1Q84. In this novel, the story within a story, the multiple character viewpoints, the repetition from multiple viewpoints, the fairy tale quality all builds this fantastic and amazing experience. He makes the reader question his or her own sense of reality and existence. He makes us check to see how many moons are in the sky. So regardless of whether the pacing is perfect, this is a masterpiece.

Mark Florczyk

great book, very long, great ending. i have truly never read anything like this

Kristof Revilak

altlovesbooks

"It's not me but the world that's deranged."

This is not my first Murakami book. Or my second or third, for that matter. I guess what I mean to say is that I'm no stranger to Murakami's surreal style and vague endings. I enjoyed The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle so much. When my book club friends decided to get together to finally knock 1Q84 out, I jumped on board. I thought I was in for a trip. It was, but in the boring, extended, overblown business trip sense and not in the fun, dreamlike, what-did-I-just-eat Murakami sense.

There's entire swaths of this book that could have been cut and affected nothing of the story. There's (probably) a book in here that's really enjoyable, if only the extraneous stuff had been cut. Entire chapters were basically repeated with no real forward progress. I can only read about Aomame's workout routine so many times before I start skimming a bit. So much water was boiled in this book. 

So by the end of the book arrives, I'm already a little annoyed at having to slog through so much repetitiveness to get there. I was hoping we'd get some sort of wrap-up to make the slog worth it. I'm all geared up to decipher a Murakami vague ending and come up with answers myself, and then the book just ends. Spoiler for hanging threads: (view spoiler)[What happened to Fuka-Eri? Was she the dohta or the maza, and why doesn't it really matter? Does leaving 1Q84 actually do anything? What's up with the NHK guy who was banging on all their doors near the end? (hide spoiler)] All these questions and more can be yours for the low, low price of 1300 pages. 

Ushikawa was the one bright spot of the entire book, and it took us 2/3rds of the book to really get to him. He was so delightfully inept, and I loved watching him bungle his stakeouts and thinking he's a first class detective. Why did he have moss on his tongue though? No idea.

I don't know, this book was missing something for me that I got from other books. I had many questions after finishing Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but in a good way. I felt like there were enough clues and impressions and thoughtful inclusions that it led me to forming my own conclusions without spelling it out for me. This book felt like it missed all of that. All words, no soul.

Ayesha ahmed

I still have no words for this mind blowing novel.

yūlyā - sihtimbir. al-kitāb al-thānī : riwāyah

Ibrahim Ali

jinni

this has to be one of the weirdest book i've ever read. will i casually recommend it to other people? no. should you read it? yes.

Rosamund Mather

Well, I just finished this behemoth about 10 minutes ago... it will probably take some time for me to gather all my thoughts, and I do look forward to being able to look up theories and other people's opinions about it now. For the moment, here is what I have to say.

It was the very definition of "living inside a book", and I think it will take a while to read any other novels without subconsciously comparing them. After the busy last few months I've had, interspersed with relatively short reads, it did make me appreciate what a joy it really is to curl up and read and really get stuck inside a novel.

I must admit I started losing interest a little bit by the beginning of Book 3, though it was still compelling enough to keep me turning the pages to find out more and more about the mystery of 1Q84. Towards the middle/end of Book 3, I found myself getting very frustrated - suspense is great, but then it began to take the piss. And the coincidences/duality even started to come off as a bit cheesy. And I'm not entirely sure I'm satisfied with the ending. But a novel like this is such an achievement, and it's such a pleasure to walk around in Murakami's mind every now and then, which is why I'm giving this 4 stars.

Felt a little bit like a waste of time. Part 3 was by far the best part with the introduction of Ushikawa(my favorite) and the final arc of Tengo and Aomame but it felt like I came a little bit too late. I like the interior descriptions but it got to be too much for me. 

Ioana Kardos

A story about that which obliterates any hindrance. As of its length, "we needed that much time to understand how lonely we really were" (1316). As of Murakami, reading his books is like diving into the ocean only to discover you have always been a fish. The magic you see at the end of the journey makes one believe only those whose hearts are intertwined are able to peer in the world with two moons.

Aakankaha Dwivedi

Kayla Ndife

Like every other novel I've read by Murakami, when someone asks me "what's it about?", my answer is always, inevitably, "Don't worry about it."

There's a quality to Murakami's writing that makes it feel as if he is speaking the story to you, which made me feel very much like I was connected to the story and the author. The character are beautiful, and the plots converge just as beautifully, in that distinct Murakami style. This book is definitely a challenge, but it's so worth it when you get to the end.

sabina

** spoiler alert **
           after years of putting off reading this monster of a book, I decided to go with the audiobook instead and I'm so glad! 

it was a slow start at first, but once I got into it I couldn't stop, though I did take a little break in the middle. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat at certain points, which I haven't experienced in a while. 

I absolutely loved the writing, though tengo and eriko's relationship was a very uncomfortable thing to listen to. 

I can't wait to read more of murakami's work now, and I've thankfully got a nice small list to go with!!

The long-awaited magnum opus from Haruki Murakami, in which this revered and bestselling author gives us his hypnotically addictive, mind-bending ode to George Orwell's 1984. The year is 1984. Aomame is riding in a taxi on the expressway, in a hurry to carry out an assignment. Her work is not the kind that can be discussed in public. When they get tied up in traffic, the taxi driver suggests a bizarre 'proposal' to her. Having no other choice she agrees, but as a result of her actions she starts to feel as though she is gradually becoming detached from the real world. She has been on a top secret mission, and her next job leads her to encounter the superhuman founder of a religious cult. Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange disturbance that develops over a literary prize. While Aomame and Tengo impact on each other in various ways, at times by accident and at times intentionally, they come closer and closer to meeting. Eventually the two of them notice that they are indispensable to each other. Is it possible for them to ever meet in the real world?

Kristen Claiborn

This book is intensely intriguing! I was sucked in pretty quickly, but it was like a vacuum with low suction. It got the job done but it took forever and left some debris behind. The story itself is incredibly imaginative and I applaud the author for that. However, the novel is full of repetition and was boring as hell to get through. It also lacks a linear time-line I personally find appealing. The constant back and forth amongst points of view with no reference to the "when" they are talking about was slightly disconnecting. It does even out in the end, and the end was, for the most part, satisfying. 
 BUT! I have so many questions! After 932 pages, so many of my questions went answered. There was also a recurring theme that was never fully weaved into the story and that just pissed me off. Why would she spend so many words on something that didn't seem to fit? 
 When I did finish, my first thought was "WOW!" It's better than good.

Steph Zymowski

1Q84 is the 4th Murakami novel I've read and I absolutely loved it! Throughout the novel Murakami weaves together the best elements of his signature style - music, fantasy, love, mystery, intrigue, death, NHK, classic literature and cats. Like most longer Murakami works it dragged during the beginning of the conclusion but otherwise a fantastic work of fiction.

edith w.

I just didn't get on with it. It was well written (as these things go) but it moved me not a jot. I think, in part, it was all too over-explained. The first person expositions were too obvious and largely unnecessary, particularly in the detail. Win some, lose some.

Literally way too long. Unnecessary detail in some parts. The way the author writes from a female character’s point of view is cringe and annoying. However, the story itself was interesting and the love story between the characters was cute. 

Allie Serrano

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.

Murakamı'nın en beğendiğim kitabı diyebilirim. Nasıl bir yazar olursa olsun bu kitapla yazım tarzının güzelliğini gözardı edemeyeceğimi bir kez daha anladım.

Aomame ve Tengo'nun bağlantısını çözene kadar kitap bir büyüyle ilerliyor, ikisinin hikayesini ayrı ayrı okumak çok keyifliydi. Kitabın önceki kısımlarında Aomame birine aşık olduğundan bahsetse bile ben buna pek ihtimal vermeyip bunu öylesine söylediğini düşünmüştüm, bu sebeple ikisinin arasındaki bağlantı üzerine pek de düşünmeden ayrı ilerleyen bölümlerden keyif aldım.

Kimi kitabın sonu sebebiyle bu ikilinin hikayesinin pek de önemli olmadığını, kitabın boşa geçen bir zaman olduğunu belirtmiş. Kitap da bir şeyler açığa çıktıkça elbette ilk iki bölüm kadar heyecanla gitmiyor ama 1Q84 hepimizin yaşadığı, yaşayacağı bir hikaye gibi geliyor bana.

Son aylarda okuduğum pek çok romanın içine giremediğimi düşünür hayıflanırdım, bu kitapla aslında bu yaşadığım problemin sebebini buldum diyebilirim. Kurgusal kitaplarda olaydan çok yazım tarzının beni oldukça etkilediğini fark ettim.

Şahsi görüşüm, biri Murakami'den az kitap okuyup onu tanımak istiyorsa sırasıyla İmkansızın Şarkısı, Sahilde Kafka ve 1Q84 kitaplarını okuyabilir.

ebrar

Murakamı'nın en beğendiğim kitabı diyebilirim. Nasıl bir yazar olursa olsun bu kitapla yazım tarzının güzelliğini gözardı edemeyeceğimi bir kez daha anladım.

Aomame ve Tengo'nun bağlantısını çözene kadar kitap bir büyüyle ilerliyor, ikisinin hikayesini ayrı ayrı okumak çok keyifliydi. Kitabın önceki kısımlarında Aomame birine aşık olduğundan bahsetse bile ben buna pek ihtimal vermeyip bunu öylesine söylediğini düşünmüştüm, bu sebeple ikisinin arasındaki bağlantı üzerine pek de düşünmeden ayrı ilerleyen bölümlerden keyif aldım.

Kimi kitabın sonu sebebiyle bu ikilinin hikayesinin pek de önemli olmadığını, kitabın boşa geçen bir zaman olduğunu belirtmiş. Kitap da bir şeyler açığa çıktıkça elbette ilk iki bölüm kadar heyecanla gitmiyor ama 1Q84 hepimizin yaşadığı, yaşayacağı bir hikaye gibi geliyor bana.

Son aylarda okuduğum pek çok romanın içine giremediğimi düşünür hayıflanırdım, bu kitapla aslında bu yaşadığım problemin sebebini buldum diyebilirim. Kurgusal kitaplarda olaydan çok yazım tarzının beni oldukça etkilediğini fark ettim.

Şahsi görüşüm, biri Murakami'den az kitap okuyup onu tanımak istiyorsa sırasıyla İmkansızın Şarkısı, Sahilde Kafka ve 1Q84 kitaplarını okuyabilir.

Daniel Santos

Nice trilogy when taking into account the love story between Tengo and Aomame: a love born in their childhood days which resisted time and different worlds.

Even though I liked the wrap up, I felt the books unnecessarily long and composed at times by long boring narrative which made me feel like dropping the book, dragging myself towards the end. No wonder I abandoned this book almost 4 years ago and just picked it again because I challenged myself to finish my TBR list.

As a result, I don’t feel like reading other books by the author.

Hellboy TCR

After the second read I rank this book above "Wind-up", as Murakami's best.

Elda Mengisto

"This was the real world, where red blood spurts out when you slice open your skin with a knife. And in the sky in this world, there were two moons, side by side." (799)

I hadn't read Murakami before, and I thought this book gave a good feel for his writing style: surreal, with references to literature and classical music. I actually liked it, especially with its fantastical world and plot.

As for the story itself, it was good. I liked the ideas of a weirdly parallel universe, but at the same time, I wonder if this applies for all years? Or just for this one? The religious organization, the ghostwriting, it was all really intriguing--it didn't make me flip the pages any harder, but it made into a solid story.

As for the main characters, Aomame and Tengo, they were all right, and I liked seeing how their worlds slowly merged into one year. But, why would one remember a squeeze of a hand from a long time ago? As Aomame said, "We came into this world so that we could meet. We didn't realize it ourselves, but that was the purpose of us coming here. We faced all kinds of complications..." (912) I think what would've made the books a bit more interesting is if they could cross before that pivotal moment near the end, maybe through dreams, or maybe they have a bit of a conflict or two before realizing they really cared for each other.

I thought the secondary characters, with the exception of Ushikawa, were a bit less developed, though they did have their own backstories which can't be forgotten. Going back to Ushikawa, having his point of view in book 3 was important, but through me off a bit, which led to a bit of a drag in them. I would've also liked to know where Fuka-Eri ended up in the end: of course, she is really aloof, but I wanted to see some closure. And Tamaru as well.

With the ending, I thought it was a bit anti-climatic; I kind of wanted some final confrontation between the Sakigake and Aomame-Tengo, or that Aomame and Tengo had to return to the real world or meet before a certain date, otherwise they would be stuck there forever.

Overall, "1Q84" is a solid book, with its own ups and downs. For those who enjoy parallel worlds, writing, and secretive groups, I recommend it. (6.5/10)

Bozana Radenkovic

Too long and repetitive. It could be cut by at least 40%. The atmosphere I've admired before in Murakami's style is still there and that's why I managed to finish the book, but the plot is weak, uninteresting, and there is no climax. Wouldn't recommend it if you are not Murakami's fan.

"Luftpuppen", som Tengo hemmeligt gennemskrev for den 17-årige Fukaeri, er blevet en bestseller. Aomame, den talentfulde lejemorder, udfører en sidste opgave. De to leder efter hinanden, færdes de i samme verden? Samtidig skal balancen mellem gode og onde kræfter holdes

al-kitāb-i awwal: abrīl-yūnyū. bind 1

Adly Samy 

ملل وملل وملل إلى أن اشتعلت الأحداث بتوازي في كلا العالمين أيقنت معه أنني سأعيد قراءة الثلاثية مرة ومرة ومرة.

1Q84

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