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Book Review of 1Q84

1Q84
1Q84
Author: Haruki Murakami
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 16 more book reviews


(SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW)

1st:

Fuka-Eri dictates to her sister events that happened to her in a cult compound known as Sakigate. These events involve Air Chrysalis', two moons and Little People. That manuscript - titled Air Chrysalis -is submitted to the New Writers Contest. It captures an editors heart and a novelist whose job - among others - is to read the submitted works.

Tengo is that novelists name. Komatsu knows it can be a winner and because of that he pretty much forces Tengo to ghost write it, to make it better.

Unbeknownst to them this unlocks a world of problems. Fiction becomes reality, reality becomes fiction. One moon becomes two.

2nd:

Aomame is a killer of abusive men. She and her ice pick that isn't quite an ice pick pierce the brain stem and send the man to the other side. She, after finding herself in the world of 1Q84, is tasked with killing Leader. The head of Sakigate and the hearer of the voices.

Aomame and Tengo share a complicated past. A single memory that has stuck with them for twenty years. A moment in a classroom where they held hands.

They've never forgotten each other. Not a day passed when they didn't think of each other. Tengo's world is turned upside down by the novel, Aomame's by her killing Leader. This brings them into each other's orbit and closer to the other.

Will they or won't they find each other?

This is a love story. A weird, wacky, wonderful love story. Their is drama with the changing of the worlds, and curious happenings with Fuka-Eri and the Little People. Their are side characters like Ushikawa and Tamaru that add a lot to the story and keep you wondering what will happen next.

Tengo's story plays out richly, as does Aomame's. You really get to know them. You really begin to root for them and hope that they find each other. That begins to consume you. You begin to not care so much about anything else which is good because towards the latter portion of the book things begin to wind themselves up and in a way that isn't so climactic. If you expect a Hollywood shootout or Bonnie and Clyde style ending, something with more bang then you're going to be disappointed. This is after all, a love story. That's the point of it. You're meant to fall for Tengo and Aomame and root for them.

It is a will they or won't they find each other sort of story. One worth reading.