Like much of Murakami's work, 1Q84 is complex, enigmatic and almost impossible to adequately summarize in a few lines. Set in a fictionalized 1984 – a nod, of course, to George Orwell's novel, the Japanese sales of which rose considerably after the release of Murakami's book – 1Q84 is centered around two characters, each in search of the other. We first encounter Aomame, who works as a type of “hit woman” for a mysterious corporation, followed by Tengo, an unpublished writer and math tutor whose monotonous life becomes complicated by an incredible novel supposedly written by a 17-year-old girl. Fluctuating between the two protagonists' tales, the novel explores themes such as family ties, cult religions, love, history and violence, though in true Murakami style, the realistic narrative is peppered with elements of the surreal. Met with elements such as levitating clocks and exploding dogs, the reader is forced to question where the boundaries between dreams and reality lie, or if they exist at all.
Both the Spanish and English editions of 1Q84 have been split into two volumes, the first combining Book 1 and Book 2 and the second comprising Book 3. At over a thousand pages in total, this long and long-awaited treat is sure to keep Murakami's many devotees happy until the release of his next unique creation.
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