1Q84

By: Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin - translator, Philip Gabriel - translator

Narrated by: Allison Hiroto, Marc Vietor, Mark Boyett

Length: 46 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

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.

BONUS AUDIO: Audible interviews the translators of 1Q84, Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel.

©2011 Haruki Murakami (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"This imaginative, lengthy novel satisfies as a mystery, fantasy, and humorous coming-of-age tale—all blended with the vagaries of love and loss in a dystopia mired in strange cults and mathematical/musical dreamscapes. One surmises that it's no accident that the book's enigmatic title relates to George Orwell's 1984." (AudioFile)

“Profound . . . A multilayered narrative of loyalty and loss . . . A fully articulated vision of a not-quite-nightmare world . . . A big sprawling novel [that] achieves what is perhaps the primary function of literature: to reimagine, to reframe, the world . . . At the center of [1Q84’s] reality . . . is the question of love, of how we find it and how we hold it, and the small fragile connections that sustain us, even (or especially) despite the odds . . . This is a major development in Murakami’s writing . . . A vision, and an act of the imagination.” (David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times)

“1Q84 is one of those books that disappear in your hands, pulling you into its mysteries with such speed and skill that you don’t even notice as the hours tick by and the mountain of pages quietly shrinks . . . I finished 1Q84 one fall evening, and when I set it down, baffled and in awe, I couldn’t help looking out the window to see if just the usual moon hung there or if a second orb had somehow joined it. It turned out that this magical novel did not actually alter reality. Even so, its enigmatic glow makes the world seem a little strange long after you turn the last page. Grade: A.” (Rob Brunner, Entertainment Weekly)

the narration is incredible

this book on all sides is incredible, the overlapping of its parts to create the whole, just amazing.

More I disliked then liked

I really loved the narration and character development. however, there were several things i didn't like.... the storyline of the little people made the whole thing too unbelievable/fantastical. There was too much sex and unneccessary emphasis on sexual arousal. Also, too many events go unresolved with not enough clarification on characters' motives. maybe I missed something.

good story but dragged on

the narrarators were great. clear voices and good acting.

I was enjoying this book for the first half but then I felt the book dragged on for too long. A lot of repetition. The author should have cut out unnecessary content

Excellent But!

This story is spectacular and completely engrossing. One difficulty, however, is the fact that the female reader provides an overly enunciated reading that has an almost saccharine affect to it.

Not my kind of book

I keept waiting for the book to start making sense, but for me it never did. It somehow got lost in it's own style.

I lisened to it in 2 chunks. First 25 hours. Then i got tired of it and went on to others. Later I broke my rule and went back to a book I didn't like. I guess that didn't help with my view of it.

There might be something good in there but in that case it's burried in way to much volume. I think it would have been a much better book if it was 1/3 the length.

The narrators were good though.

i love it

i thought i cannot finish the book cos i have little time to read. im so glad that i found audible and listen 1q84. at first im not feeling right about the female narrator. but slowly i can accept it and listen till end. i just love it. thank you

Unusual and fascinating storyline

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I started listening to Murakami after reading a NYTimes review of his book What I Talk about when I talk about running. I liked his stream of consciousness autobiographical style and went on to listen to The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. Anyone who liked the Wind-Up Bird will enjoy 1Q84.

What other book might you compare 1Q84 to and why?

Murakami has a style all his own. This has similarity to Wind-Up Bird as the narrative jumps between the main characters telling various unique stories yet ties together one story .

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The different narrators tie the various stories to those who tell the stories in a way that wouldn't occur in reading. Since the narrators have different styles and voices, what might be a little confusing is clear in narration. The female narrator has a peculiarly Japanese female voice. In my limited experience with Japanese women, they have an unusual delicate vocal quality that the female narrator captures and allowed me to picture the Aomame character.

Any additional comments?

Murakami is clearly expressing his social commentary on the current lifestyle of many young adults.

Good but LONG.

I liked the story and the three performers were very good but it dragged for me at times. Having said that, however, I was committed to listening and am glad I did. A co-worker asked me what the book was about and I really couldn't explain it because there are several unusual story lines going at the same time.

Twists and Turns

Where does 1Q84 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Possibly the most captivating book I've listened to yet -- I actually look forward to my daily commute to get back into the story! The narration is excellent, and Murakami is as good as ever. It is certainly a close second to the Wind Up Bird Chronicle.

What did you like best about this story?

Switching back and forth between characters has proved to be a fantastic way to keep the book moving forward, without slowing the pace and losing the reader's interest. Every chapter seems to leave you on the hook, keeping the suspense and intrigue intense from one book to the next.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Ushikawa, hands down - best narration I've ever heard for an audiobook.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No way - this is a process.

A beautifully sloe and mysterious novel

One of the most fantastic books I've ever came across. Weird, majestic, beautiful!! 1q84 is a must read