1Q84

I enjoyed this quite a bit. There was extensive character development, and the story moves along (most of the time). I would classify it as more of a fantasy with strong romance tones. I more of a mystery buff and this had some of that, and the conclusion was satisfying, but left a number of unanswered questions.
I haven't read any Murakami before. I was cautious about embarking upon this due to it's length, but overall it didn't bother me in this case.