"Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers . . . But while anyone can tell a story that resembles a dream, it's the rare artist, like this one, who can make us feel that we are dreaming it ourselves." --The New York Times Book Review

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.

As Aomame's and Tengo's narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell's--1Q84 is Haruki Murakami's most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.

Item Information Item Information

Format: TradePaperback
Author: Murakami, Haruki
ISBN: 9780307476463
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 8.10 x 2.10
Number Of Pages: 1184
Publication Year: 2013

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

5 ★ 75%

4 ★ 25%

3 ★ 0%

2 ★ 0%

1 ★ 0%

4.8

4 Ratings

0 Recommendations

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Magical Realism

Marcos J. - 3 years 10 months ago

On the surface, it's a love story, and maybe nothing more. Murakami, however, will lose you in a labyrinth of logic using the simplest of storytelling tools, leaving you with a nearly unspeakable understanding of the events in the plot. If youre in the need of a book to catch you off guard, look no further than 1Q84.
HPB Staff Review
Who are you, and which world do you believe in?

Stephen G. - 5 years 8 months ago

A story of two individuals seeking the love of one another in a world, or worlds, that consistently changes around them. From the vantage point of characters Tengo, a fiction writer/math teacher and Anonome, a fitness instructor/assassin, we are greeted with a well thought out and ambitious take on the convergence of separate, yet parallel, realities. Beautifully written and translated, Murakami treats us to a story where he truly stretches his abilities as an author, proving once again how masterful of a storyteller he has come to be.
HPB Staff Review
Part Lynchian Dreamscape with a scoop of Ray Bradbury.

Sean B. - 5 years 9 months ago

One of the most engrossing sci-fi novels I have every read. It effortlessly combines the surreal aspects of Murakami's other books with a sprinkle of Ray Bradbury. It is an absolute trip, one filled with action, dreamscapes, and romance. I can't tell you how good this book is. It loses a bit of the very personal touches of his other work, such as Kafka on the Shore, but it is such a strong read that anyone even cautiously interested should take the plunge. Also, for those who have issues with Murakami's often shallow portrayal of women, I'm happy to say the lead woman in this story is strong and has more depth than many of his other depictions. #SummerReading
A book that defies definition.

Laura K. - 6 years 6 months ago

This is about two people who go through strange situations and worlds haunted by memories of each other from childhood. Haruki Murakami has a definitive quirky narrative style with the ability to say thoughts in the loveliest ways. This story has supernatural other ideas, mixed with dark criminal elements but still grounded in the realism of the worlds of the characters. The book follows Aomame and Tengo as their narratives inexplicably cross and yet don't cross. This is a fantastic voyage and though it can get a bit long in the middle it's all brought together in mystifying ways. This book is a thought-provoking tale that poses all the questions and mostly answers none of them. This is a great pick for those who like quirky and rich science fiction and fantasy.
HPB Staff Review

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Magical Realism

Who are you, and which world do you believe in?

Part Lynchian Dreamscape with a scoop of Ray Bradbury.

A book that defies definition.