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1Q84
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1Q84: Final Impressions
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I resisted reading this book because I don't typically read Japanese or Asian fiction. For me its an issue of having trouble with the names and following who is who. Its a weakness on my part, I admit it; so there!I came across volume one and said to myself that if I made it 100 pages in, I would stick with it. I got engrossed in the writing more than I did the story. It flowed like fiction striving to become poetry.
The book dragged me back into it day after day as if I were commanded to read it. Were things left hanging, yes indeed. Just like they are in life, just like they are in poetry because it leaves the reader to interpret what happened.
I have no intention of pursuing other books by this author, but I am glad that I read this one.
I love this book! It is a well-written book that has unlimited layers to it. I am sorry that this discussion happened during December, when I am too busy to join in this discussion, although I've had great discussions about it in another forum. Here is my review of it:http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Although I enjoyed the characters, the love story at the heart of the book was so cliched. I could've lived with it if it had remained a minor element, but it came to dominate everything in the last third of the book and Murakami didn't do anything interesting it.I know some people complain about there not being enough answers, but I found the opposite problem -- we ended up knowing too much about the plot of Air Chrysalis and the Maza and Dohta. The story would've been better if it had ended with Book 2 -- Aomame pulls the trigger and Tengo sees her doppelganger in the chrysalis, that's it, the end. Screw you Chekhov, the love story doesn't need to be resolved.
I agree with Sean, I would have been perfectly happy leaving off at the end of Book 2. Not that I minded Book 3 but I don't think it was necessary and may have made the book less satisfying overall.
Hooray, I didn't think I'd ever finish but I have read all three books of 1Q84. I really enjoyed reading it. And, unlike most of you, I liked book 3. I thought that the action moved quite quickly in this book.
Victoria (vikz) wrote: "I thought that the action moved quite quickly in this book."I know my heart was pounding from all those exciting scenes of Aomame sitting on a balcony watching an empty park. ;-)
Sean wrote: "Victoria (vikz) wrote: "I thought that the action moved quite quickly in this book."I know my heart was pounding from all those exciting scenes of Aomame sitting on a balcony watching an empty pa..."
Okay, Neither book is 'ready player one' But, book 1 of 1q84 was just all about some guys/girls talking about whether to commit a fraud and then writing a book. It was interesting in its way and Beautifully written. But I still think that vol 3 had more action. ;)
It was originally a 3 volume set in Japanese.They pared it down into a single book for the English version.
I suspect that several of the plot lines were shortened in the process.
This is a recurring problem with abridged versions of a book.
Warren wrote: "It was originally a 3 volume set in Japanese.They pared it down into a single book for the English version.
I suspect that several of the plot lines were shortened in the process.
This is a recurr..."
1Q84 hasn't been abridged. The Japanese edition was divided in three because the Japanese don't like long books -- the average Japanese novel is less than 300 pages when translated to English, and those that are longer were typically divided into multiple volumes in Japan.
Thanks. Learn something new every day.During a visit I noted that their book stores were huge. I thought they were avid readers.Photos of multiple volumes of 1Q84.
I didn't realize that English took up that much less space.
I guess the Kindle makes it all OBE.
I agree with Nick. I enjoyed reading 1Q84, but it left too many plot threads unresolved.
The milieux of 1Q84 was very compelling, and I enjoyed some of the characters (Fuka-Eri, Tengo), but I had a ton of problems with this book. As Sean said, I did not buy into the love story at all. I was also never really compelled by the mystery, which I suppose is a good thing since it was never resolved. Most importantly, I was just never drawn into the book: I never felt like I had to keep reading, and I often just read in oder to get to the end, not because I really wanted to.My major complaints beyond those already mentioned:
(1) At the very beginning the cab driver says that there is only one world, and Aomame reflects on this statement later, but it is not confronted at the end. This just seems like a literary crime. You can't say this at the beginning and not deal with it at the end.
(2) For all the reflection and philosophizing in the novel, there is no substantial commentary on the cults. Given that Murakami has previously written a non fiction book on the Tokyo gas attacks, I really expected something interesting to come out of the cults, but in the end we get very little.
(3) Ushikawa's murder. On the positive side, this is the only event in the novel that actually got an emotional reaction from me. But it is presented in a way that absolves Tamaru of all guilt and he even comes out of it looking noble for being the only one that cares about Ushikawa. But this is such bullshit. Even if the murder is necessary to protect Aomame it's hard to justify morally, and it almost certainly wasn't. Maybe Murakami is trusting the reader to come to the right conclusion on this, but it really felt to me as if he was trying to make Tamaru look good. The little philosophical discussion before he murders Ushikawa was also pretty lame.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book; I really liked the style, descriptions and mysteriousness of the book. Still, the story as a whole did fall a bit flat for me. I don't need everything explained/resolved, but *something* would have been nice.I am wondering though, does anyone else find themselves looking at the moon a lot more since reading this book?
It would have been nice to understand more about the little people like what the hell they are doing and why. Also aside from only having one moon what is the difference between the worlds dose the school that Tengo worked at exist in both worlds? Dose the money in his bank account exist in both?
I really enjoyed the book overall, definitely not something I would have normally picked up so its great to be introduced to something this different.The writing style was very fluid and compelling, I'd say it was the 'best written' book I've read for a long time, and I enjoyed reading it even when not much was happening plot wise.
I have to say book 3 was very disappointing in terms of story. Book 2 had a fantastic tension building up to the critical night with Aomame and Leader, that was really the high point for me. Then book 3 kind of just drifted along and the ending felt like a complete cop out, it was just too easy in the end to escape.
Still highly enjoyable overall - but after book 2 I was thinking it could be up there with some of my favourite books of all time - didn't really think that way after book 3.
I found it really slow, but not in a bad way. Normally I find slow books (and movies) boring half way in, in this case it was different, is written in such way that it never gets boring, the plot advances when it has to, never after o latter. (I'm a noob in goodreads, so I don't know how to pot the spoiler hider -SORRY!-)
I found the end kind of unfulfilling, I want to know what happen in 1Q84, I lost interest in the love story when Aomame and Tengo met. But I think I understand what Murakami wanted to achieve doing so, once you go out the Cat's Town, you lose all ties with it... or some thing like that, and Air Chrysalis also has a "open" ending.
Over all, I liked it, I can recommend it if you have a lot of time in your hands, a long trip to a lost empty town ;)...
PS: It was my first read with my Kindle Touch, and I found annoying that the % when up so slow.... next I'm reading some thing shorter!
PS2/EDIT: http://www.google.es/search?gcx=c&...
I loved this book. Murakami is an amazing writer - his talent for language comes through even in translation. I realize he does not tie everything up in a nice neat bow at the end of the novel but at what point in your life has that ever happened?
Sorry I'm late to the party.I liked 1Q84. I think all the comments of unresolved plot points are valid but they didn't bother me. This is how I see everything working out.
1Q84 is a translation from Japanese. In Japanese the letter Q and the Japanese number 9 sound the same. So in Japanese it sounds like saying Nineteen Eighty Four. The same as in George Orwell's 1984.
The book is a work of Japanese fantasy that takes place in an alternate 1984, and the main character is trying to find a way back to the real 1984. When I say fantasy I mean Japanese Manga or Anime type fantasy with tons of symbolism found to represent nature, Yin&Yang, self discovery, and God.
If you don't like or don't get Japanese Anime, you will hate reading 944 pages of poetry and mystery turned love story with a very ...? speculative, un defined? ending.
On the other hand if you dig Japanese culture, symbolism, and allusion, I think you will enjoy this book.
Part Two, for my GoodReads friends. Spoilers from here down.
My opinion is that the year 1984 started and ended in this book and that is the only window we got to look out of. The resolution to what happens with Fuka-Eri and her Professor happen at a later date so we are not allowed to see it. My guess is that they will have boring lives.
The Dowager will die unhappy and with a broken heart having lost her second daughter, Aomame, and, except for Tamaru, alone. Her legacy will not continue after her death, the son will sell the sanctuary make millions off the land. I hope the Dowagers decision to assassinate Leader was worth it.
Tengo's father dies. The ghost of his personality is no longer banging on doors. Tengo's one and only link to 1Q84 is gone and he can go with Aomame to 1985.
Ushikawa becomes the goat that links the little people back to the world so Sagi kake, which has actually been around for centuries in some form or another according to Leader, will have their Voice again.
Some spirit or deity is interfering with Aomame and Tengo to drive them in a direction towards each other and also against the Little People. This spirit is never defined but is simply referred to as opposite the Little People. So
A little more on the Little People.
"They have gone by many names." Every time I hear someone say that it reminds me or directly refers to Angels. And the word angel literally means Messenger of God. Angel or Demon, good or bad, we never learn what their intentions are or what the Air Chrysalis overall purpose is for. But who can ever really know the mind or intentions of a god. We do learn that they are other worldly, see or spy on all, and want to control everything they see. Including controlling the land, which they keep buying up, and is sacred. The Little people also want to control the actions of what everyone else does and thinks. Sounds like Big Brother to me. And, just like in Orwell, in which Oceania is still there and going at the end of the book, the Little People are going to keep going. I believe this to be the core to this book. Heaven vs. Earth. Not so much Good vs. Evil. One is more evil and less good than the other according to us, you get to decide which, but in each is found a little of the other.
The woman gets her man. I'd like to say that the boy gets the girl but that doesn't apply in this book. So what if one is a athletic nymphomaniac pregnant serial killer and the other is an hulking indecisive nerdy slow witted neat freak. They where made for each other. And the beauty in this book is that that you get to see, through 1Q84, how.
I think I will try another Murakami book sometime next year.
Mod
I just finsihed this a few days ago and really, really enjoyed the book. I was hooked from the first chapter. I look forward to repeated readings of this novel.This was the first Murakami book I read and I have since purchased The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and eagerly await reading them.
Veronica wrote: "Finished it. What. The. Hell."Welcome to the f-Ed up ending that is more like a non-ending. Perhaps you need another wrap up episode!
Finished it a few minutes ago. I'm OK with the loose threads. I would've been fine if the story ended at the slide.
I am *really* late in adding to this thread but I *really* loved this book. It got to me through lots of subtle personal parallels to my own experience (not that I'm a secret assassin or have ghostwritten bestsellers) and has oddly synced with other books that I've read recently (esp. The Man in the High Castle). I admit that the pacing in the third book tends to drag but what about the ghost of Tengo's dad pounding on their doors demanding NHK fees? That was genuinely eerie and one of my favorite bits.
I think it's brilliant that we never really know what was up with the Little People--what they were, what they wanted, etc. It's like Murakami subverts dramatic irony by making his third person narrator non-omniscient. We end up understanding the Little People only to the extent that Tengo and Aomame understand them. It adds to the realism--the *magical* realism.
Veronica wrote: "Finished it. What. The. Hell."Took you a while, but you beat me; I JUST finished, moments ago, more than a year after you.
I can't say it's a great story, but it was an incredible experience. I will have to try more of Murakami's work.
This book is great on a couple of levels and feels like an abandoned work on many others. There are several unresolved plot points which is okay if done selectively and with a reason but they mostly feel like story arcs that the author couldn't come up with a satisfying way of completing them so he just didn't try. The one story arc that is completed really isn't satisfying enough for the whole book. For a book this length and with so many plots unfinished it is a good thing the characters are well written and that it reads so fluidly. While I can't say I'd want to read another story in this same vein unless the author had a better plan for the book as a whole, I can say I've read longer books that weren't nearly as easy to read or intriguing as this one.