1Q84
Ratings237
Average rating3.7
“I can bear any pain as long as it has meaning.”
The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo. A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her.
She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.
Tags
Series
Featured Series
3 primary books1Q84
1Q84 is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2009 with contributions by Haruki Murakami.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
I can see why some people don't love it, but I thought it was beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed it all, even the parts that are left unexplained.
Good but not amazing. Could have been about 300 pages shorter (at least). I was disappointed Murakami only tied up one of many loose plot ends by the end of the book. The idea that post-modern novels don't have to follow old fashioned conventions is a recurring discussion point in the book (for example, M. deliberately mentions and then violates Chekhov's principle that once a gun is introduced, it must be fired), so I guess it's not that surprising. In the beginning, the tightly packaged plot lines drew me in, but Murakami seemed comfortable with mere suggestions by the book's end. Even though I liked it, I'd be hard pressed to recommend it to others just because the page-length investment doesn't entirely seem worth the payoff.
Definitely not his best work, much too long if you ask me. The length robs you of some of the magic in his other books. The story itself it interesting, but not all that satisfying. it was like running a marathon, only to hop in a golf cart for the last mile.
Top Prompts
Featured Prompt
46 books#46 in What is the most unique or thought-provoking time travel book you've ever read?
Time travel books are a great way to explore the possibilities and consequences of changing the past. They can also be a lot of fun, as you follow the adventures of characters who travel through time.
Featured Prompt
2,773 books#2773 in What are your favorite books of all time?
When you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
Characters
See all (0)
