Haruki Murakami: 1Q84 (Japanese language, 2009)
Japanese language
Published May 29, 2009
1Q84 (いちきゅうはちよん, Ichi-Kyū-Hachi-Yon, stylized in the Japanese cover as "ichi-kew-hachi-yon") is a novel written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, first published in three volumes in Japan in 2009–2010. It covers a fictionalized year of 1984 in parallel with a "real" one. The novel is a story of how a woman named Aomame begins to notice strange changes occurring in the world. She is quickly caught up in a plot involving Sakigake, a religious cult, and her childhood love, Tengo, and embarks on a journey to discover what is "real". The novel's first printing sold out on the day it was released and sales reached a million within a month. The English-language edition of all three volumes, with the first two volumes translated by Jay Rubin and the third by Philip Gabriel, was released in North America and the United Kingdom on October 25, 2011. An excerpt from the novel appeared …
1Q84 (いちきゅうはちよん, Ichi-Kyū-Hachi-Yon, stylized in the Japanese cover as "ichi-kew-hachi-yon") is a novel written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, first published in three volumes in Japan in 2009–2010. It covers a fictionalized year of 1984 in parallel with a "real" one. The novel is a story of how a woman named Aomame begins to notice strange changes occurring in the world. She is quickly caught up in a plot involving Sakigake, a religious cult, and her childhood love, Tengo, and embarks on a journey to discover what is "real". The novel's first printing sold out on the day it was released and sales reached a million within a month. The English-language edition of all three volumes, with the first two volumes translated by Jay Rubin and the third by Philip Gabriel, was released in North America and the United Kingdom on October 25, 2011. An excerpt from the novel appeared in the September 5, 2011 issue of The New Yorker magazine as "Town of Cats". The first chapter of 1Q84 had also been read as an excerpt in the Selected Shorts series at Symphony Space in New York. While well received in Japan, 1Q84 was met with mixed reviews from international critics, who condemned the novel's excessive repetition, clichéd writing, clumsy styling and unyielding plot. Literary Review nominated one excerpt from the book for its annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award.
The edition that I read was more than 1100 pages, but I never got tired of reading it, or felt like I needed a break. This is in some ways Murakami’s strangest novel, but it is as fascinatingly readable as any of his work.
DNF'd because it isn't good and I realized I was only 10% through. I couldn't take another bad Sexual conversation or pedophilic line of thought.
29 year old Tengo has an uncomfortably pedophilic perspective of a 17 year old.
Aomame has very awkward Sexual encounters. Sean Connery's head shape is mentioned many times.
There is a preoccupation with boob size and the shape of women's bodies.
And I quote:
His penis was in fact somewhat larger than normal, though not too large, as advertised. Aomame's expert handling soon made it big and hard. She took off her blouse and skirt.
"I know youre thinking my breasts are small," she said coldly as she looked down at him in her underwear. "You came through with a good-sized cock and all you get in return is these puny things. I bet you feel cheated."'
