1Q84 (1Q84, #1-3) in Reading with Style

Dec 12, 2011 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A powerful story. Engaging. Surreal. Out of the box. A real head-scratcher. Extremely worthwhile reading - even at 1984 pages. Makes me want to read Murakami's other works. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2011 Deidre rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I first picked up this book, I didn't realize that it was 1,000 pages in length. Not that reading a long book is off-putting, but many times, authors that will write extensive books inevitably lose pace, and there are chunks of slower reading that you just have to trudge through to get to the better parts. Or, trudge through with the HOPE that there are better parts ahead, since things don't always get better..

This was also my first Haruki Murakami book, though I'd been meaning to read his When I first picked up this book, I didn't realize that it was 1,000 pages in length. Not that reading a long book is off-putting, but many times, authors that will write extensive books inevitably lose pace, and there are chunks of slower reading that you just have to trudge through to get to the better parts. Or, trudge through with the HOPE that there are better parts ahead, since things don't always get better..

This was also my first Haruki Murakami book, though I'd been meaning to read his What I Talk About When I Talk About Running for a while, since many runners had recommended it.

So, picking up the book, I had some reservations, buuuuut.. I did manage to stick out all 1031 pages (as per my EPUB format count), and I didn't die.

Actually, I rather enjoyed most of it. Murakami has a very flowing, effervescent style that creates impressions that are rather soft and cottony around the edges. Like that feeling you have when you first wake up after a dream, and the details are blurry, but the pictures are all there. Upon closer inspection, the details don't make sense, but that cottony feeling prevents that from being a problem, like a nice, soft buffer zone of dreamy goodness.

That style and feel is largely the reason I didn't put the book down at a few points. I like the characters, and how sharply Murakami paid attention to the details surrounding them. Little activities during their days, aspects of their appearances, their clothes, the way that they lived, etc.. All meticulously crafted to create a reflection of the characters within the storyline that made them stand out sharply against their backdrop, and remain believable, despite the circumstances around them that were somewhat unbelieveable.

I did discover, however, that a male writing as a female characters does some strange things with the female characters. The over-done focus on certain body parts (like breasts, pubic hair, and wombs) was rather odd, and I have to admit, irked me. I'm not sure if it's the way that the author intended it to be, since Aomame is largely a bit of an odd character, or if he was genuinely attempting to write as a female, and just got the small details wrong because, well, he's a male. Either way, reading it as a female just struck me as off, and that was something that poked at me throughout all 1031 pages.

The storyline is largely fantasy, of course, and Murakami's dreamy style works very well with it. The world of Tokyo is very well-done and put together, and the reader never ends up lost or feeling out of place. Everything is very easy to visualize, and even the fantasy world aspects are interesting.

One other qualm about the book is the length of time that he takes to drag everything out. Really, this book could have been 300-400 pages shorter, with far more condensed areas, and still read with the same quality. There were parts of the book that just felt like fluff, and they would go on for a good 10-20 pages at a time. And not that it wasn't pretty, or readable, but there were mass amount of repetition (which, knowing the author, were probably put there on purpose) that started to drag at the experience after a while. I mean, Aomame ends up in hiding for seriously, half the book, which is 500 pages. Tengo ends up in the "city of cats" for nearly a quarter of it. And they don't do ANYTHING. NOTHING. The reflect quite a lot, and have introspective moments, and think about each other, but there is not action, and they spend a large part of their time wishing they were doing something. Which, after a while, can get a bit draggy, even with the suspense of "bad guys" in the background.

The length and weird characterizations almost made me want to give it three stars, and I wish I could do halves, because I would rather make it a three-and-a-halfer.

Other than that, he's an excellent author, with a real knack for telling a story and really focusing on details, and I'm definitely going to check out more by him. I would likely only recommend this to people who like the detailed styles of Ayn Rand (which surprised me, but her lengthy attention to detail reminded me quite a bit of his style, though Rand is far less cottony), and don't mind spending a lot of time with one book. ...more

Like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, world-lit-asia-japan, found-in-translation, magical-realism, floor-joist, bookish-challenge-summer-2013

Loved this book! Can not help but wonder how a full translation of the original work would have read. I was sad that the book ended when it did as I would have loved to read more of the story. The characters were interesting. Their individual stories were interesting. The plot was woven so that it was easy to follow. What can I say? I want more! Scheduling for a reread.

For those who are concerned about the sex and/or violence that appears ... it IS necessary to the storyline.

Like · see review