1Q84 by Haruki Murakami: Review

“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.” 

SPOILER FREE

This is a book that drew me in from page one, and I genuinely don’t remember the last time I’ve been this enamoured with an author’s writing!

Though I’ve known of Murakami and have been recommended his books in the past, I felt like I’d somehow discovered a wonderful secret. 1Q84 contains some of the most compelling characters I’ve ever read, and introduces such an incredibly fascinating world. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with the characters in this world while they, as well as I, discovered the meaning behind their very unique journeys.

Interestingly, before reading 1Q84, I’d been pre-warned of some of the sensitive topics Murakami tends to explore in his novels, so I won’t hold back from saying that there are some particularly difficult parts to read in this book. Personally, the violence in this book at times felt gratuitous, and what bothered me about it is that although it did serve a fundamental purpose (creating the story’s big bad), I felt that it, in some ways, undermined Murakami’s storytelling, particularly because it is so good at it.

One thing that I don’t think Murakami has quite mastered is this story is his portrayal of women. When compared to the male characters who felt more well-rounded, I couldn’t help but notice his need to either affiliate women with men who had inflicted trauma upon them, or, in his attempts to present women in a multi-faceted way, writing about them in an overtly sexual manner… which is me trying to say, that this book is very obviously written by a man.

Overall thoughts:

The best type of fiction truly makes you forget your day-to-day life, to the point where you feel like you’re a part of the world that you’re reading, and that’s exactly what 1Q84 did for me. The world felt real but also beguiling, and the characters were complex,

I also have to be honest about this book. It was at times challenging to get through (because of the violent scenes); it’s exceptionally long, particularly if you’ve chosen to buy the 3-in-1 edition – like I did, and if you’re not used to reading this style of fiction, it might take you aback.

I’d definitely like to re-read this book one day, I think it certainly deserves a second read!

TW: Child abuse. Domestic violence. Suicide. Murder.

4.4/5 ⭐