1Q84: Book 3
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"It is a work of maddening brilliance and gripping originality, deceptively casual in style, but vibrating with wit, intellect and ambition"--The Times
"The Japanese spellbinder [has] conjured an alternative 1984 in Tokyo and – via his addictively cunning story-telling – made us care about the people within an outlandish plot cults, conspiracies and resistance"--The Independent
"What makes Murakami cool as well as popular is has metaphysical mischievousness, his playing around with the idea of alternate realities... Every time you open 1Q84, you get the sensation of falling down the rabbit hole, into a unique and addictive world"--Sunday Express
"The Japanese spellbinder [has] conjured an alternative 1984 in Tokyo and – via his addictively cunning story-telling – made us care about the people within an outlandish plot cults, conspiracies and resistance"--The Independent
"What makes Murakami cool as well as popular is has metaphysical mischievousness, his playing around with the idea of alternate realities... Every time you open 1Q84, you get the sensation of falling down the rabbit hole, into a unique and addictive world"--Sunday Express
Book Description
The gripping finale of Murakami's bestselling masterpiece
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Taken as a whole, and not just book three, I've found 1Q84 a big disappointment. In all honesty, it's just a bit boring. Even if the three books were edited down I don't think that would make the novel any more exciting; the core of the story is empty and dull.
The whole way through 1Q84 I just kept thinking that the book felt like someone else trying their hardest to write a Murakami novel. The references to classical music and jazz, the bits devoted to food, the ear fetish, the surreal touches - all the boxes were being ticked off. Even the central premised was there - average 30 something male lead caught up in a whirlwind of confusion - classic Murakami.
But this time it all felt so hollow. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is very similar (on a simple level: average guy looking for his wife whilst strange things happen around him) but 1Q84 lacks the underlying darkness and vague menace that runs through TWUBC. Murakami does a very good job in TWUBC of highlighting some rather sinister undercurrents in Japanese society. 1Q84 is devoid of that. Sakigake or the Little People just never really felt like actual threats or forces that needed to be countered.
This left a gaping void in the story, which meant I experienced 1Q84 as a novel full of average characters doing very boring things. It didn't bore me when Mr Wind-Up Bird spent time in the bottom of a well but it DID bore me in this novel when Tengo or Aomane spent so much time doing not very much.
And their relationship / feelings were something I had a hard time buying into. I could accept it from Aomane's side but Tengo seems to wake-up about halfway through the novel and suddenly remember that he's had a life-long crush on his former class mate. Up until that point he's fine having his adulterous relationship and admiring Fuka-Eri (even if he says he doesn't feel any sexual feelings towards her). But suddenly that all changes in a flash. That undermined another central part of the story for me.
The prose in 1Q84 seemed unusually lifeless too. The usual sparkle was missing and in its place was a whole lot of repetition (Fuka-Eri conversations were a special bore). Oh, and there was a whole load of needless sex and large wads of Chekov dumped in the story too, all of which seemed thoroughly self-indulgent (though, yes, that criticism mostly applies to books one and two, and not three).
1Q84 isn't terrible but I struggled to finish book three and came away with very little love for the novel (by contrast I had to skim the end of Kafka on the Shore I was so bored with the book, so it's not THAT bad). Is it just me then? It's true my favourite Murakami novels (and I've read all his works) are his earlier ones (AWSC, HBW, DDD). After Dark was fine but it was also very slight. I'm feeling unconvinced by Murakami's latest offerings and 1Q84 was a big disappointment after the expectations I had. This might well be the last time I get one of his novels in hardback at launch.
The whole way through 1Q84 I just kept thinking that the book felt like someone else trying their hardest to write a Murakami novel. The references to classical music and jazz, the bits devoted to food, the ear fetish, the surreal touches - all the boxes were being ticked off. Even the central premised was there - average 30 something male lead caught up in a whirlwind of confusion - classic Murakami.
But this time it all felt so hollow. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is very similar (on a simple level: average guy looking for his wife whilst strange things happen around him) but 1Q84 lacks the underlying darkness and vague menace that runs through TWUBC. Murakami does a very good job in TWUBC of highlighting some rather sinister undercurrents in Japanese society. 1Q84 is devoid of that. Sakigake or the Little People just never really felt like actual threats or forces that needed to be countered.
This left a gaping void in the story, which meant I experienced 1Q84 as a novel full of average characters doing very boring things. It didn't bore me when Mr Wind-Up Bird spent time in the bottom of a well but it DID bore me in this novel when Tengo or Aomane spent so much time doing not very much.
And their relationship / feelings were something I had a hard time buying into. I could accept it from Aomane's side but Tengo seems to wake-up about halfway through the novel and suddenly remember that he's had a life-long crush on his former class mate. Up until that point he's fine having his adulterous relationship and admiring Fuka-Eri (even if he says he doesn't feel any sexual feelings towards her). But suddenly that all changes in a flash. That undermined another central part of the story for me.
The prose in 1Q84 seemed unusually lifeless too. The usual sparkle was missing and in its place was a whole lot of repetition (Fuka-Eri conversations were a special bore). Oh, and there was a whole load of needless sex and large wads of Chekov dumped in the story too, all of which seemed thoroughly self-indulgent (though, yes, that criticism mostly applies to books one and two, and not three).
1Q84 isn't terrible but I struggled to finish book three and came away with very little love for the novel (by contrast I had to skim the end of Kafka on the Shore I was so bored with the book, so it's not THAT bad). Is it just me then? It's true my favourite Murakami novels (and I've read all his works) are his earlier ones (AWSC, HBW, DDD). After Dark was fine but it was also very slight. I'm feeling unconvinced by Murakami's latest offerings and 1Q84 was a big disappointment after the expectations I had. This might well be the last time I get one of his novels in hardback at launch.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was quite intrigued after the first two parts to see how this book ends. Even then you have to wade through numerous awkward sex scenes and oogling minors breasts in every sweater she wears, I felt these two books were a set up for the final book. So many things just were not explained. The Little People, why there was two moons, what happened to the religion, what happened to Fuka-Eri, what was the point of the maza/dohta air crysalis what happened to his older lover etc. It feels like none of this is answered in the book which is extremely frustrating and very lazy story telling.
Its very hard as well when were supposed to believe the character's motivations is a hand hold 20 years ago and they simply wait around and think about it (and they masterbate to this??) in their apartments for 300 pages. Avoid this book.
Its very hard as well when were supposed to believe the character's motivations is a hand hold 20 years ago and they simply wait around and think about it (and they masterbate to this??) in their apartments for 300 pages. Avoid this book.
20 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you're a Murakami fan you'll love 1Q84. It's definitely up there with "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" and "Dance, Dance, Dance". All the elements and characters you would expect of a Murakami novel are present. The lead male character - Tengo - is a sensitive young man with an unhappy upbringing ploughing his idiosyncratic and troubled furrow through life. He is on a quest to find what is missing from his life and as well as wanting to unravel some of the mysteries relating to his past. He is of course both discriminate and passionate about food, drink, clothes, music and literature. The main female character - Aomame - is beautiful, determined and very capable young woman who has also had to overcome a very unhappy childhood and is every bit as much a loner as Tengo. The mandatory weirdness includes "Air Chrysalises", "Little People" and a second - little, green - moon.
Murakami is a superb story-teller, who writes with intelligence and compassion about real people who have to cope with very real human issues like family, sex, love, death and loneliness in a world where fantastical things can and frequently do happen. If you've never read a Murakami book before you're in for a treat so long as you're prepared to go with the flow. You'll also learn a lot about Literature, Classical Music and Japanese vegetables.
Murakami is a superb story-teller, who writes with intelligence and compassion about real people who have to cope with very real human issues like family, sex, love, death and loneliness in a world where fantastical things can and frequently do happen. If you've never read a Murakami book before you're in for a treat so long as you're prepared to go with the flow. You'll also learn a lot about Literature, Classical Music and Japanese vegetables.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wish I'd stopped after Books 1 & 2...
Hugely repetitive, Book 3 of 1Q84 should have been condensed down into a few chapters and tacked on to the end of the first two books. Read more
Published 2 days ago by A. Stephens
Goes out with a whimper instead of a bang
Book Three of 1Q84 was a good book. But what is truly frustrating about the book is the potential it had to be AMAZING. Book 2 ended perfectly. Read more
Published 23 days ago by EJ CAMARA
Superb
What a splendid novel. I confess I was slow to realise that Part III came in a different volume, and, although I was riveted by Parts I and II, I had been less than thrilled with... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Agustín Fernández
SUPERB
Very much enjoyed book 3, as I did books 1 & 2. Very rarely I come across a book I don't want to finish because I become so deeply immersed in the storyline & the characters... Read more
Published 1 month ago by talle
Absorbing - time well spent
1Q84 (Books 1,2 and 3) is typically original drawing you into a fantasy world. It's about love and relationships, good and evil, fantasy and reality. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ev
1Q84
I read 1Q84: Books 1 and 2 and then Book 3. I had never read this author's work before but am so
pleased I decided to extend my usual choice of reading. Read more
pleased I decided to extend my usual choice of reading. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Elaine M.
Just plain boring...Read the critical reviews before you purchase...
I enjoyed reading Murakami's 'Norwegian Wood' last year and decided to indulge myself in the complete set of 1Q84 books without reading any reviews about this set of three books. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr T Niwa
Dreadful...........
Book 3 improves on 1/2 in two areas - translation and repetition. However the storyline is probably as bad if not worse than 1 and 2. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Billybobs
Flawed but fascinating
I am a Murakami fan who would put the Wind-Up Bird Chronicle at the top of my list of favourites.
This trilogy does ramble and would probably benefit from intelligent... Read more
This trilogy does ramble and would probably benefit from intelligent... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alexandra Walker
Amazing reading
With this last book Murakami fulfilled all my expectations. The book is wonderful wonderful wonderful and much more. Love it!
Published 3 months ago by RC
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