The concept of this book is set in 1984 and based around two characters: Tengo and Aomame. They shared a powerful experience during childhood, however their lives have been drawn apart and they have not seen each other in many years. Despite this fact, they still think about each other, and hope that one day they can meet again. A series of events, including Tengo ghost-writing a book that becomes a bestseller, and Aomame murdering a man in his hotel room lead them to think they have now entered a new world: 1Q84. The realisation that a powerful force called the "Little People" is trying to tear them apart leads to heartbreaking decisions.I have written a very short summary of this book as it is very hard to write about the plot without wanting to put in little details that would make it far to long! This book is quite big, as Books 1 and 2 came together, and I think that it is probably better to buy them this way as otherwise I think the narrative would be disjointed. The most powerful technique I think the writer uses is having two writing styles for the different characters, however still retaining his unique narrative, something I think is even harder once it has been translated from Japanese. for a large book, the suspense and character development is kept up very well throughout, which cannot be said for all big books. I am a fan of Murakami's style, as he uses very to-the-point language, something which I rather enjoy. Murakami also manages to write a convincing love story, while still incorporating sci-fi and fantasy elements without it feeling to cheesy. That is also another point I would like to make. Even if you have never read a fantasy, sic-fi or romantic book before, Murakami manages to keep the balance, so I feel fans of every genre will find something here for them, including action.
Some points I think could have improved the book, starting with the dialogue. In some parts of the book, dialogue between characters I found to be slightly disjointed and awkward. I do however appreciate this may be because the book has been translated from Japanese. Another point that has become more apparent towards the end of the second book is that some details/actions of the characters are just a bit... weird? Perhaps it is just not my genre, however it may not be for you either, if you like your plots clean-cut.
I really enjoyed this book, and it has in fact been a rewarding read. Book 3 is definitely on my Christmas list! Although this is a long read, it is very rewarding and small touches like little quotes above every chapter ("No Matter How Far Away I Try to Go") makes me think this book will stay with me long after I finish it. It is however, definitely for older readers, and also would just like to stress the fact it is quite long, so if you find it hard to concentrate on books over 600 pages this one is definitely not for you (it has 803). All-in-all, I am very happy with this book, and would definitely recommend Murakami's short stories for anyone looking for something lighter, or of the same genre.
Age rating: 14+
Star rating: 4/5 stars
Recommended: http://www.murakami.ch/hm/bibliography/bibliography_elephant_vanishes.html
Authors website: http://www.murakami.ch/main_1.html
Thank you for reading!
WWW: A very well thought out and structured post. Although you said it was a short summary I felt it was very engaging and persuasive. Also I enjoyed the fact that you put elements from the book that you would improve as it helps me to evaluate whether the book is suitable for me as well as you stressing the length of the book and the age rating.
ReplyDeleteEBI: It was a really fantastic blog, one thing I could say to improve on is if you could possibly talk about one of your favourite characters to give me a taste of what kind of personalities there are in the book.
A brilliant post!
WWW: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book blog as it was detailed in every aspect but not too detailed as to give the whole plot away. You have included so many aspects: Authors site, recommendations, plot and what you like/disliked.
ReplyDeleteEBI: It was hard but... Isobel said /\ maybe talk about a favourite character.
Brilliant post!
This is a brilliant book review:
ReplyDeleteYou included a rating, a link, and a detailed outline of the plot without revealing any spoilers. It's very hard to find fault with this but as Ciara and Isobel said, maybe include a favourite character.
Well Done!!! <3
Wow Isobel! I really enjoyed reading this blog and I think it is very sophisticated. You explained your feelings about the plot and characters well. I also enjoyed reading about what you felt about the style of Murakami. Next time you could add another persons view on the book for example a newspaper's review, comparing it to yours. Well done!
ReplyDeleteBridget ;) xx