perfischer reviewed 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Review of '1Q84' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Aaaaahhh! It was so exiting, but I feel the end fell a bit flat.
English language
Published Nov. 29, 2011 by Harvill Secker.
4 stars
(27 reviews)
Haruki Murakami is an international phenomenon. When Books One and Two of his latest masterpiece, "1Q84", were published in Japan, a million copies were sold in one month, and the critical acclaim that ensued was reported all over the globe. Readers were transfixed by the mesmerising story of Aomame and Tengo and the strange parallel universe they inhabit. Then, one year later, to the surprise and delight of his readers, Murakami published an unexpected Book Three, bringing the story to a close. In order to reflect the experience of "1Q84's" first readers, Harvill Secker is publishing Books One and Two in one beautifully designed volume and Book Three in a separate edition. A long-awaited treat for his fans, "1Q84" is also a thrilling introduction to the unique world of Murakami's imagination. This hypnotically addictive novel is a work of startling originality and, as the title suggests, a mind-bending ode to …
Haruki Murakami is an international phenomenon. When Books One and Two of his latest masterpiece, "1Q84", were published in Japan, a million copies were sold in one month, and the critical acclaim that ensued was reported all over the globe. Readers were transfixed by the mesmerising story of Aomame and Tengo and the strange parallel universe they inhabit. Then, one year later, to the surprise and delight of his readers, Murakami published an unexpected Book Three, bringing the story to a close. In order to reflect the experience of "1Q84's" first readers, Harvill Secker is publishing Books One and Two in one beautifully designed volume and Book Three in a separate edition. A long-awaited treat for his fans, "1Q84" is also a thrilling introduction to the unique world of Murakami's imagination. This hypnotically addictive novel is a work of startling originality and, as the title suggests, a mind-bending ode to George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four". (The number 9 in Japanese is pronounced like the letter 'Q'). The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo. Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently 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 affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true? Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other.
essteeyou reviewed 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Review of '1Q84' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I really enjoyed all the books in the series. I'm pleased with the ending, although there are a few things that seem to just have been dropped along the way...
Buzzcut and Ponytail were on their way to Tokyo, then nothing was hard of them again. Tengo's mother, Tamaki, Ayumi, and Kumi Adachi all died in the same way, with no particular explanation of why, or who did it, or any mention of how they were linked, if at all.
Anyway, enjoyable story. :-)
otrops reviewed 1Q84: Book Three by Haruki Murakami (1Q84, #3)
Review of '1Q84' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
“According to Chekhov,” Tamaru says early in Book Two when Aomame asks him for a gun, “once a gun appears in a story, it has to be fired.”
Later in Book Two, Amomame responds to Tamaru's request that the gun come back unused: “Meaning, you want me to violate Chekhov's rule.”
Tamaru replies, “Exactly. Chekhov was a great writer, but not all novels have to follow his rules. Not all guns in stories have to be fired.”
And so begins the literary experiment that plays out through all of Book Three: What happens if a novel violates Chekhov's rule? What if it goes on violating it for over 300 pages?
The answer is a prolonged study in literary stasis, in which everything is trapped in a whirlpool of events. There's a lot going on, but characters don't develop and the plot doesn't budge an inch.
Murakami is deliberately playing with …
“According to Chekhov,” Tamaru says early in Book Two when Aomame asks him for a gun, “once a gun appears in a story, it has to be fired.”
Later in Book Two, Amomame responds to Tamaru's request that the gun come back unused: “Meaning, you want me to violate Chekhov's rule.”
Tamaru replies, “Exactly. Chekhov was a great writer, but not all novels have to follow his rules. Not all guns in stories have to be fired.”
And so begins the literary experiment that plays out through all of Book Three: What happens if a novel violates Chekhov's rule? What if it goes on violating it for over 300 pages?
The answer is a prolonged study in literary stasis, in which everything is trapped in a whirlpool of events. There's a lot going on, but characters don't develop and the plot doesn't budge an inch.
Murakami is deliberately playing with conventions and subverting our expectations. As a result, dramatic tension runs through Book Three like a rich seam of rare metal. It's masterfully done, and it's fascinating and frustrating in equal measure.
An experiment is successful if you've learned something from it, and this is what I learned from Murakami's experiment: you can violate Chekhov's law; you can write an engaging novel in which a gun appears and isn't fired, but it's much more satisfying when it does.
