1Q84
“The moon had been observing the earth close-up longer than anyone. It must have witnessed all of the phenomena occurring - and all of the acts carried out - on this earth. But the moon remained silent; it told no stories. All it did was embrace the heavy past with a cool, measured detachment. On the moon there was neither air nor wind. Its vacuum was perfect for preserving memories unscathed. No one could unlock the heart of the moon. Aomame raised her glass to the moon and asked, “Have you gone to bed with someone in your arms lately?”
The moon did not answer.
“Do you have any friends?” she asked.
The moon did not answer.
“Don’t you get tired of always playing it cool?”
The moon did not answer..”
— 1Q84
Haruki Murakami
A Review:
This is the first book I have read from Murakami and I have fallen in love. The one-thousand plus pages went by too quickly. Murakami opens up his world to the reader. Tengo and Aomame, the two protagonists, are thrust into the world of 1Q84 by unseen forces. With vivid detail and imagery, readers experience and learn about the new reality while the main characters try to figure out why they are in this subtly different world. They independently navigate their lives around a powerful cult that has long reaching arms across society. As the story progresses, readers get drawn into trying to figure out how the individuals are linked and what the significance of every character is. Murakami creates an intricate web of connections to pull everything together. Murakami anchors his dream world through the use of references to jazz and well known events throughout world history. These references give a clear definition to the personalities of the characters and mood of the book itself. In addition to the references, each part of the book can be visualized with ease due to the descriptive writing. Murakami uses intricate literary elements to make allusions to the world we live in and hint at the process he went through to write the book itself. However, some people may get bored from the extensive detail and repetition he uses. For people who appreciate the art of repetition and pay attention to when the repetition occurs, the skill and mastery of his writing can be revealed. The use repetition evokes a style similar to Gabriel García Márquez’s One-Hundred Years of Solitude. The elements can be revealing of the themes of the book and fates of the characters. Much like Gabriel and magical realism, the dream world he creates pulls in powerful themes of light and dark forces, destiny, and dreams. With this method of writing and the foundation of Japanese culture, the novel has many characteristics of the same characteristics as anime. The little people and subtle calls to nature seem to be reminiscent of Princess Mononoke. All these elements combined creates an immersive experience that is worth every turn of the page for fans of fantasy, love stories, or anime.