hollydunndesign's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. I was very pleased to find on reading this that Murakami can actually write fantastically diverse and interesting female characters. Where books like Sputnik Sweetheart fell a bit flat when it came to depicting the inner world of women, 1Q84 succeeds, with as many interesting female characters as male ones. Much of the dialogue revolves around Aomame, one of two protagonists, and her female friends and colleagues. The other protagonist is Tengo, who is rewriting a novel originally penned by an elusive 17 year old girl called Fuka-Eri. Like Kafka on the Shore, this is a dual narrative, the three parts follow the two stories side by side and we slowly see links between the two. Not my very favourite Murakami, but this is one of the better ones I have read.
rebecca234's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
samari's review against another edition
4.25
A very questionable experience which i quite enjoyed in a questionable way.
katsa6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I just think I'm not big brain enough for this. I think it takes a long time to get moving and even by the end it feels like a prequel to anything actually happening. Very strange.
mvhoang99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ichp's review against another edition
4.0
Many people find 1Q84 exhaustive. Although I wouldn't use the same word, I found many long paragraphs repetitive. Though I believe that's perhaps because the whole story is three parts long, and readers need a recapitulation time and again, whereas I had read the entirety in one go.
The first three chapters were enough to hook one in when one realises Aomame is much more than what one has learned about her. There's no hint of their (Aomame & Tengo) lives tangled whether, in past or future, but once it does, it is a slow burn at its finest. To the extent that when the 3rd book finished, I didn't know what I'd do to get another glimpse into their lives. I didn't want to let them go.
The writing and the storyline are mysterious and captivating enough and kept me wondering, "what would happen next?" that reading through a composite book of over 1000 pages was fairly easy.
You may hate 1Q84 or love it; it's definitely worth a read. It's not just a book. It's an experience. I'm eager to read more of Murakami's works.
PS: I'd forever be thankful to this book for giving me: "
The first three chapters were enough to hook one in when one realises Aomame is much more than what one has learned about her. There's no hint of their (Aomame & Tengo) lives tangled whether, in past or future, but once it does, it is a slow burn at its finest. To the extent that when the 3rd book finished, I didn't know what I'd do to get another glimpse into their lives. I didn't want to let them go.
The writing and the storyline are mysterious and captivating enough and kept me wondering, "what would happen next?" that reading through a composite book of over 1000 pages was fairly easy.
You may hate 1Q84 or love it; it's definitely worth a read. It's not just a book. It's an experience. I'm eager to read more of Murakami's works.
PS: I'd forever be thankful to this book for giving me: "
jerihurd's review against another edition
4.0
I would imagine one of the problems of being Murakami is that editors hesitate to edit as brutally as they might for a less-respected author. There are few novels in the world that actually NEED to be 1200 pages, and this isn't one of them. The last third of the book is quite the slog and needs a severe edit to save the author from his self-indulgent tendencies.
Having said that, the first 2/3 more than make up for that with an intriguing narrative and mostly compelling characters. I generally find alternating chapters annoying, but it wasn't overly so in this book (well, until that last third). Murakami clearly has female issues, and there are a few ewww inducing sex scenes (and others that just evoke an eyeroll from any self-respecting feminist), but I cared deeply about Tengo, if slightly less so about male wish-fulfillment Aomame.
Having said that, the first 2/3 more than make up for that with an intriguing narrative and mostly compelling characters. I generally find alternating chapters annoying, but it wasn't overly so in this book (well, until that last third). Murakami clearly has female issues, and there are a few ewww inducing sex scenes (and others that just evoke an eyeroll from any self-respecting feminist), but I cared deeply about Tengo, if slightly less so about male wish-fulfillment Aomame.
ximeebooks's review against another edition
2.0
what?! all that?
this man made me read 1150 pages of pure describing every single event and thought going through the head of three different characters. he explained and detailed a whole different world, this great mysterious plot involved with religion and weird creatures, a cult and a different universe and he wrote THAT ending?
also please introduce a woman to this man, just a ten minute conversation with a woman pleaseee. I started laughing at how ridiculous he writes women, not a single chapter where Aomame didn’t complain about her “too small” breasts.
this man made me read 1150 pages of pure describing every single event and thought going through the head of three different characters. he explained and detailed a whole different world, this great mysterious plot involved with religion and weird creatures, a cult and a different universe and he wrote THAT ending?
also please introduce a woman to this man, just a ten minute conversation with a woman pleaseee. I started laughing at how ridiculous he writes women, not a single chapter where Aomame didn’t complain about her “too small” breasts.