WardenRed reviewed 1Q84, Livre 3 by Haruki Murakami
None
4 stars
The more he rejected him, the more his mind cleared. If only he could get his heart to fall in line.
This story was super thoughtful and entertaining! I'm a sucker for rivals-to-lovers, and both characters here, as well as the dynamic they had throughout the short audio read, were awesome to follow.
The story's about two rivaling true crime podcasters who practice rather different approaches to their craft: one sets out to entertain and systematically draw more listeners, the other to educate and to draw attention to important topics. They have a lot of not-quite-true perceptions of each other, fueled by a studiously ignored mutual attraction, and they'd rather not be in the same room... until the mother of a recently deceased fan approaches them and asks if they'd consider doing a collaboration as that fan used to dream they would, and neither of them can say no. When they actually start working together, they discover they have a lot of fun with each other. But certainly, the rivalry and the misconceptions they both have about each other aren't just gone with a snap of fingers, and the way they tackle those problems as they actually grow closer is delightful to follow. I'm honestly amazed at how much character and relationship development the author included in such a short book. I do still wish it was longer, but don't I always, when I encounter short stories or novellas? :D
I should also note that the audio production was absolutely flawless. This was actually my first Audible Original. It won't be the last!