Book Review: Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84

I have been reading Haruki from sometimes now. So far I am done with Dance Dance Dance, South of the Border and West of the Sun and 1Q84. I think is sure that Haruki is really addictive. If you start reading him then you would not feel like putting the damn thing even for a moment. I have already started his another bestseller Norwegian Wood. And the list will continue, for sure.

1Q84 is a 1318 page complete trilogy of the world that is full of mystery, phony imagination, and characters that go way beyond ones palate set in the year 1984, Japan; a world that has two moons. A world where there is Dohta and Maza. Haruki is very descriptive about his characters and characters there are a lot, bringing the story together. Haruki has beautifully described all, and each character’s are different and unique. The only character that I felt was unnecessarily described was Ushikawa. The main characters are Aomame and Tengo. They are two classmate lovers who share an unexplainable love that flourishes between the two without any communication involved, when they were just 11 years old. Aomame leaves the school and they both get separated from each other, only physically. There is no perfectly rational explanation to the kind of feelings they shared, as they both could feel each other’s presence as if they were together.

The first part of the trilogy sets the mood of the readers with the conundrum stirred by the book Air Chrysalis, which is written by a seventeen-year-old girl name Fuka-Eri with the help of Tengo. It’s like the opening of the Pandora’s box. Unwillingly Tengo rewrites the story of Fuka-Eri. The book tops the bestseller list. Unknowingly Tengo helps Fuka-Eri discloses the secrets of Sakigake, a community of organic framers who later altered themselves into a sacred religious community, a secret that should have never been out. Whilst, Aomame is a gym instructor and a killer assassin, where she can make a person’s death look natural. Here, Haruki unfolds all the characters. While you begin to read about the particular character and their story, you feel sorry for them, as everyone seemed to be tricked into a situation unwillingly.

In the second part of the trilogy, precipitated by Fuka-Eri’s Air Chrysalis and little people she constantly talk about Tengo starts to accept things that she believes or says. Aomame kills the leader of Sakigake as assigned by the dowager she works for. The leader reveals the secrets of the world that they are in and the kind of power that little people posses as explained in the book Air Chrysalis. This revelation puts Aomame in total loss, as she may have to trade her life to protect Tengo. After the assassination of the leader (upon his wishes) she hides in a safe place through the help and dowager and her assistant Tamaru with whom Aomame as time passes becomes close with. Instead of leaving the safe space Aomame decides to stay there for sometime as feels that there is a hope of meeting Tengo in the same place.

The third part of the trilogy brings all the puzzled pieces together. The final part may keep you on the edge. Aomame becomes pregnant with Tengo’s child. Fuka-Eri vanishes again as she feels like she is being watched. With a little help of Tamaru, Aomame is able to meet Tengo and leave the mysterious and yet dangerous world 1Q84 through the passage that she believed is the one she entered the crazy 1Q84 world. This is where you will extremely feel happy for both the characters yet sad to read that its all over.

This book is extremely fascinating, Haruki has created a world which is impossible to imagine. He excels the power of weaving the story with classical music, and referencing it with classical works like Orwell, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and others. It is not just another fiction novel written by Haruki, its similarities could be connected with 1984, a novel written by George Orwell. The 1984 by George Orwell depicts an oppressive society under a totalitarian government. The government of oceania which controls its people actions and speech in some way that are obvious, there every move and word is watched and heard. And the threats what happens to those who step out of line are always looming overhead. This is exactly what happens inside the Sakigake religious community, they live in isolation with a leader who hears the voices of the ‘little people’ who ‘actually’ controls the community and everything a person does or says could be easily heard and seen by the ‘little people’. Further, the one who talks about them or opens up the secret gets into trouble, which is what happened with Tengo and Fuka-Eri.

I loved the character Tengo here for his optimistic approach towards the things that was happening around him, from vanishing of his old girlfriend to his father’s death. It was not like as if he did not feel sorry about them but he did not let anything completely distract him from his writing. But, I was looking forward to know what exactly the meaning of Dohta and Maza and what roles each one played for the little people. This is what is missing in the world the Haruki have created. Further, what happens inside the Air Chrysalis, these were what I felt left untouched. May be there will be another one on it.

I reckon this book to everyone who is not a huge Haruki fan.