Book Review: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, Book 1 + References + Book Design Review

1Q84 Book Details:

1Q84 Front Cover - Aomame

Title: 1Q84 [Japanese: いちきゅうはちよん | ichi-kew-hachi-yon]
Author: Haruki Murakami
Language: English (translated)
Translated by: Jay Rubin & Philip Grabriel
Original Language: Japanese
Date Published: October 25, 2011 (English language edition)
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate History, Parallel Worlds
ISBN: 9780307593313
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Jacket Design: Chip Kidd

1Q84 Book 1 page title

This is the first part out of my three reviews for 1Q84, a novel written by Haruki Murakami. This book is very thick and a lot of things is happening in the story. For you to get not tired reading my post, I'm dividing my review for this book into three parts.

Friendly note: review may contain spoilers. You can skip my opinionated review and just jump to Music & Literature mentioned & featured in 1Q84 or 1Q84 Book Design Review instead.

Aomame, one of the main character, took a shortcut route following the chauffer's suggestion for her to reach her appointment in time. Upon taking the shortcut route, she noticed something different in her new world she labeled 1Q84.

1Q84 chapters interchange its story from Aomame to Tengo, vice versa, chapter after chapter. I think, they have two different worlds. Both their stories are interesting and I think it'll lead the two main characters to a single path where they're trying to solve the mystery behind the Sakigake.

On occultism:

"People have been repeating the same kinds of fraud throughout the world since the beginning of time, using the same old tricks, and still these despicable fakes continue to thrive. That is because most people believe not so much in truth as in things they wish were the truth. Their eyes may be wide open, but they don't see a thing. Tricking them is as easy as twisting a baby's arm."
- The Dowager, pg. 244

There is part in the story where Tengo saw a mother and a child looking conspicuous inside the train (page 149). Tengo suspect they're preparing something to proselytize their religion. Funny, Haruki Murakami named the said religion as "Society of Witnesses", additionally describing it as a Christian sect. The said religious sect closely resembles a nonconformist Christian organization from our real world, with also "witness" word in their organization's name.

Adding such minor observation of the characters to religious groups plus their impending investigation to Sakigake, another religious group & a hint they're practicing occultism, this made me wonder the differences. What's the difference of occultism versus religion? What makes an occult group an occult group? What makes religion a religion? What makes a sect, a sect? I think, readers with religious belief will be tried if they read this book.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

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Music & Literature mentioned & featured in 1Q84:

Janáček's Sinfonietta is played in the FM radio of the taxi where Aomame is boarded (see page 3, Chapter 1).

Copy of Leos Janácek: Sinfonietta music from Dovasliet's SoundCloud

Fuka-Eri's favorite novel - The Tale of the Heike (see page 205).

Buy it at BookDepository.com
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or at Amazon (see below)

          

Fuka-Eri's another favorite - Tales of Times Now Past (also on page 205):

        

Note: the above title is also listed in BookDepository but unfortunately, they're unavailable (see search result here). You may continue book hunting this title at AbeBooks! :)

More Fuka-Eri's favorite - Sansho the Bailiff (also on page 205):

   

Note: I found a relevant result in BookDepository, one is a textbook about the film based on the above short story and another one which is unavailable. You may want to continue book hunting this title at AbeBooks too.

And there's a film based on Sansho the Bailiff, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, starring Japanese actor Kinuyo Tanaka. (see copies of the said film below, available at Amazon)

   

Music liked by Fuka-Eri - The Well Tempered Clavier, Books I & II by Johann Sebastian Bach (see page 205 - 206). For physical copies of this composition, please check below:

Buy it at BookDepository.com
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Or at Amazon:

    

I've added Janácek's Sinfonietta audio disc below as well:

   

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1Q84 Book Design Review:

Below is a brief video introduction of 1Q84 book design. 1Q84 book designed by Chip Kidd:

Official YouTube Video by Knopfo Doubleday Publishing Group

1Q84 end papers

1Q84 Back Cover - Tengo

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1Q84 Trivia:

• 1Q84, was originally published in Japanese. It was published into three separate volumes. The book 1 and the book 2 of 1Q84 was published on May 29, 2009. And the last book was published on April 16, 2010. The English edition was published on October 25, 2011 and it compact into single thick volume (the one I'm reviewing in this post).

-
Otakore Literantadodist
October 10, 2015

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Reference:

• 1Q84, pg. 227 - 240 quotes - https://literateknolohitura.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/1q84-pg-227-no-longer-any-place-for-a-big-brother-pg-240-women-sharing-a-secret/
• The Well Tempered Clavier, wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well-Tempered_Clavier
• Sansho the Bailiff, wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sansho_the_Bailiff
• Chip Kidd Discusses the Book Jacket for Haruki Murakami's Forthcoming Novel 1Q84 - http://knopfdoubleday.com/2011/03/25/chip-kidd-discusses-the-book-jacket-for-haruki-murakamis-forthcoming-novel-1q84/