Haruki Murakami is a bestselling Japanese novelist, whose works have been translated into more than 50 languages. He has been endowed with multiple awards such as the World Fantasy Award and the Franz Kafka Prize. Volumes 1 and 2 of 1Q84 were first published in 2009. A year later, the sequel, volume 3, came to the Japanese market. Widely acclaimed, the English translation of 1Q84 was released in October 2011. The number 9 in Japanese is pronounced like the letter Q, in a reference to George Orwell's illustrious dystopian novel, 1984. Actually, Murakami's fiction is taking place in Tokyo in the year 1984 and will hint at a totalitarian state "making mindless robots" or a cult leader perceiving himself as God - "Big Brother". The central figure of the plot(s), Aomane, is a young woman who is on her way to accomplishing a secret mission. Stuck in traffic, the taxi driver suggests a solution as she is in a hurry. She concedes and soon starts to discern strange occurrences, like a news report about the construction of a joint American-Soviet moon base, and then a second moon in the sky. She thinks that she has slipped into a parallel universe, which she names 1Q84, Q standing for question. In the meantime, Tengo, who works as a math teacher, aspires to become a writer. Throughout the mystery and the fantastic unraveling adventures, the paths of Aomane and Tengo will cross more than once, bringing them closer, their tales converging several times. This is a long read, 925 pages for the 3 books of my edition, and one I am sure you would enjoy. I literally devoured the chapters and couldn't stop myself from reading on. And on. Until the end. In the narrative, you will discover key characters that will point out the self-discovery of our main protagonists. Additionally, and all through the stories, music gives meaning to time, which seems to be an illusion. It is important to note that the author owned a jazz club before he started writing, and the various musical works mentioned are a corroboration to it. Since most of the countries are under curfew and/or lockdowns, how about you indulge in a lengthy best-seller and detach yourself from the current events taking place? Let me know if you liked the imaginary story!
