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)

perhaps I just don't appreciate other cultures

considering the length of this book I really expected a lot more to happen. Everything was quite drawn out without really being necessary in the end. There were many loose threads that were never tied up and because of that the conclusion wasn't satisfying at all. I also felt that it was obviously written by a man early on. The thoughts and actions of the female protagonist didn't ring true, even for a bit of an odd duck. Overall I wouldn't recommend this book.

Japanese Surrealism

The 1Q84 audiobook by Haruki Murakami is a spellbinding, surreal experience that will leave you questioning reality itself. This epic novel is split into three parts, each of which is narrated by a different actor, adding to the already otherworldly experience.

From the very first track, the listener is transported to an alternate reality where two moons hang in the sky and mysterious events occur with increasing frequency. Murakami's writing is both beautiful and haunting, with vivid descriptions that create a dreamlike atmosphere.

The novel follows the parallel stories of two characters, Aomame and Tengo, whose lives become intertwined as they search for answers to the strange events happening around them. As the story unfolds, the listener is drawn deeper into the strange world of 1Q84, where things are not always what they seem.

The audiobook is narrated by Allison Hiroto, Marc Vietor, and Mark Boyett, each of whom brings their own unique voice to the story. Their performances are exceptional, capturing the dreamlike quality of Murakami's prose while also conveying the emotional depth of the characters.

At times, 1Q84 can be a challenging listen, with its surreal imagery and complex narrative. However, the audiobook is also incredibly spellbinding, drawing the listener in with its mysterious atmosphere and haunting themes.

Overall, the 1Q84 audiobook is a must-listen for anyone looking for a surreal, otherworldly experience. Murakami's writing is both beautiful and strange, and the performances of the narrators bring the story to life in a truly immersive way. While it may be a bit weird at times, it is also a truly spellbinding listen that will leave you thinking long after the final track has ended.

PS: A bit of trivia, if you didn't already know : "Q" or "kyu" is the Japanese word for "9" ... so ...the book title is actually 1984 !!

looooong way to tell boy meets girl live story!

So much extraneous, confusing nonsense with end result of boy gets the girl. Story could have been cut down by 2/3 with same end result.

Engrossing Story, Memorable Characters

The plot thickened. There were surprises and strangeness. In the midst of this work of science fiction was a beautiful love story. Observation: The word taciturn was used often, but appropriately.
Looking forward to continuation of this series.

I've never read a book quite like this one

I'm always in search of the longest audiobooks I can find, since I usually read both my credits' worth before the end of the month. At almost 47 hours, this one fit the bill and had excellent reviews so I gave it a shot even though I wasn't familiar with the author or book. I'm glad I did. The book (I think it was originally 3 books in Japan) kept me absorbed from beginning to end. It's a very unique idea and I loved the story-within-a-story aspect. Interestingly, nearly all the characters are kind of one-dimensional, from a traditional literary point of view. The characters don't change much from the beginning to the end, which is something I was always taught to avoid in writing, but it works here because (without giving spoilers) the story itself changes around the characters. Instead of the world being stable and the characters moving through it, the characters are the fixed point of reference. Because it's just a little off traditional storytelling techniques, it makes the story feel unique above and beyond the plot itself.

The writing is also vivid and excellent. It's the type of writing where you have to pause occasionally and really take in a phrase that hits you just the right way. Another reviewer commented on the phrase "shaken his heart from a strange angle," which is one that I loved, too. I was also very taken with the phrase "Bright words make the eardrums vibrate brightly." It's such an odd phrase, when looked at literally, but you instinctively know what it means. The whole book is peppered with that kind of language. The author, obviously, takes primary responsibility for this, but the translators also did a great job. I'm not really sure how the translation process works, but I suspect there were spots where they added small explanations to ease the reading of unfamiliar concepts. They also did a great job with the occasional idiom or slang word. It was so well-done that I felt less culture-shock than I have with some books that are written in English to begin with. (There's a bonus interview with the narrators at the end if you want to hear their perspective.)

There are a couple of things that I disliked. The first was, as others have mentioned, the female narrator. It was kind of bizarre - when she is voicing the main character she does fine. She has a pleasant voice that effectively conveyed emotion. When she was voicing some of the other characters, however, it's almost like instead of changing the timbre of her voice she just changed how slowly she talked. The elderly dowager, in particular, sounded similar to a computer reading text. Her speech was very slow, oddly emphasized, and emotionless. In some books with a narrator that talks too slowly I just speed up the playback, but it wasn't possible since the slow alternated with normal speech. My other complaint is that I would have liked it to be about 30 minutes longer and tell us what happened concerning a few supporting plotlines. I'm not saying that every loose end needs to be tied up - I think this is a cultural thing because I've noticed that American books and movies tend to completely resolve all stories and foreign ones don't... I ordinarily accept it as part of the style. But the way it was written, several secondary storylines were building towards a climax and then just disappeared. It felt like when you think you're going to sneeze and then you don't. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll give a made up example: It would be like saying that someone's dog had run away and they got a call from the pound saying there was a dog that might be theirs so they get in the car and go to the pound, and then the story switches to another character and never comes back to tell you if the dog was theirs or not.

Despite my two small complaints, the book is undoubtedly one of the best I've listened to recently and (especially if you like long books) you should not hesitate before getting and reading this book!

Incredibly Intriguing

This is the first book by this author. I normally read adventure books by Clive Cussler, Ted Bell and others in tha genre. I would not have even considered this book if I hadn't seen it in the book of the year competition. Looking at all the positive reviews and listening to the sample convinced me to try it. It is a book that makes you"work" to get through it. I agree that it was too long and I would like to have seen some of the loose ends tied up. He could have used some of the unnecessary parts to explain the Little People and a couple other issues. however, I couldn't put it down and spent more than one very late night listening to it. I completely enjoyed it and will read more from this author. I thought the narration was terrific throughout the entire book!

A Terrific Introduction to Japanese Literature

Would you consider the audio edition of 1Q84 to be better than the print version?

I couldn't say because I haven't read the book. I examined a copy at the bookstore and was intrigued how the text itself demonstrated key parts of the story, such as the moon and the Air Chrysalis.

This audio book has very distinct and effective narrators for it's characters, which helps immerse the listener into the mindset of each character. It was put to good effect throughout the story.

This audiobook was unabridged, which is a quality I prefer.

What did you like best about this story?

It's careful balancing of the two story lines. Each character, Aomame and Tengo, is a distinct person with their own talents and challenges to overcome as they discover and explore the mystery at the heart of 1Q84, the year with the question mark. Yet their connection is at the heart of the mystery.

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

The different narrators brought tremendous depth and personality to their characters. Without the different voices, the reader's inner voices for the characters would not be as distinct.

If you could rename 1Q84, what would you call it?

As a native English speaker, I initially didn't understand the title. It is explained early in the novel that this name is made from Japanese wordplay, where 'kyu' is a word for 'nine'. There are explicit mentions of 1984 by George Orwell and discussions of dystopia and thought crime among other subjects.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to spoil the plot or the pacing, but I left the novel with several questions unanswered. I don't know if this is a result of content cut out during the translation, as mentioned by the translators during the epilogue, or a deliberate choice on the part of the author. Personally, I still enjoyed the story and finished the audio book, but I was slightly disappointed to not have some of my questions answered by the end.

Wonderful performance, dense story.

This story is long and requires patience, but in the end is worth the effort. It is helpful to bear in mind that when first published in Japan, it was originally three volumes. The novel takes place in an alternate timeline to 1984; one that only a few of the characters are aware of. Very strange things happen in this 1Q84 and you can find yourself uneasy with all the fantastical, unrelated, events. It is best to sit back, relax and just wait for the disparate parts to be woven together. At some points I actually gasped at the connections (3 gasps and one -Oh my God)! The prose is elegant and the story beautiful.

The story itself is told from alternating points of view, a man and a women in the first two books and a third character in the last volume. With some novels this can be choppy and distracting, but here Mr. Murakami manages to never lose his thread. All three actors read with a subtlety that allowed the story to shine through.

I do have one warning. The story is very sexual in parts. It's not in your face, all the time- it's just very frankly descriptive when it is discussed. If you are not comfortable with this type of material, then this is not your book.

A book for the detail-minded

Haruki Murakami's style is not lost in 1Q84, however, I think this is a book best read, not heard. The narrators portrayed their characters voices and emotions well, but I personally couldn't handle the slow reading pace and the over annunciation of words-- gave me chills at times (which, I suppose is also a quality of Murakami's writing). Can't deny the skill of the narrators. I just prefer shorter, quicker read audiobooks. If you're like me, then you'll opt to read this instead.

Great Build-Up for a Great Letdown!

I appreciated Murakami's ability to intertwine multiple storylines while exposing the reader to literary and musical culture and history. I became excited with the obscure mentions of the Little People and anticipated a very climatic end to a novel that obviously took a lot of time and effort to thoughtfully craft. I liked that fact that it kept me guessing, and I was just so sure I had things figured out until I would be thrown off-course again. I enjoyed all of this until I noticed I was on the last audiobook and the time was dwindling down, yet the story seemed like it had so much longer to go.

Like others have said: It's unnecessarily sexual. It's ridiculously verbose -- this book could have been 1/3 smaller had Murakami not regaled us with the step-by-step thoughts and actions of each character. (Another reviewer detailed it best describing the painstaking detail of Tengo cooking dinner.) It could have been another third shorter without a simile being mentioned for EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT OR OBJECT that the characters encounter. I thought it was clever writing at first, but then realized that it didn't stop and was more excessive than effective. My biggest gripe, along with everyone else, is with the loose ends! You can't help but feeling like nothing really happened in this novel when you're done and wondering if you've wasted your time. It was an interesting ride, but it was like being on a world-renown rollercoaster with a breathtaking drop and climbing the incline just to find out that there really is no decline, only another platform, when your restraints unlatch and you're told to exit to your left. (See, now he's got ME doing it...)

The female narrator bothered me at first, but I grew accustomed to her. She was poor, however, in distinguishing voices between the narrator and Aomame whenever Aomame entered into dialogue with another female. Tengo's narrator was fine, but I didn't care much for the second male narrator who voiced Ushikawa.

Had the ending actually brought the magnificent story together, this would be a definite re-listen to enjoy without the "mystery" or maybe to could catch something I missed the first time around. But in its present state, I feel like, "Why bother..."