52+2 Deck Draw #2: IQ84 by Haruki Murakami ⭐⭐⭐

I experienced so many things I never expected when I started this book. Possibly the most definitive ‘genre-bender’ out there. And one behemoth of a story.

I was really taken with Murakami the first time I read him. He’s so elegantly accessible with his words. Even as he jumps to some pretty jarring moments, his descriptions are simplified in a way that makes me wonder if it’s really his voice shining through, or just the translation process making everything sound so obvious when it normally wouldn’t. This book, as long and daunting as it is, is the magnum opus of that sentiment.

1Q84 is advertised on the cover as a science fiction-mystery-love story. That’s a quick way to explain the story’s essence; it barely scratches the surface. 1Q84 does each of those genres justice, but what I really enjoyed besides seeing these two soulmates slowly encircle each other was the way every tiny detail can be turned into an analysis of the world through the constantly calculating thoughts of these characters. It’s obvious Murakami’s real-life introspections leaked into the story. One event or item would trigger a mental cascade in Tengo or Aomame that felt more realistic to the way my own brain talks to itself than any other author I’ve encountered. The lulls that come from such a long story are propped up by these endearing blips of candor.

Based on the hype and expectations, I was a little disappointed not to feel more connection to the overall plot. The individual moments spoke to me, and I can appreciate the power it takes to weave everything in the book together and come out the other end with a true love story, but I was hoping for more. Maybe it was just too long for me. The content is up my alley, but sometimes felt like going in circles just to repeat or reinforce something a little longer.

I’m throwing out three stars here because I don’t plan to revisit this for a while, if ever. I’m proud of the journey and grateful for the prose that actually inspired my own writing toward the beginning, but Murakami for me may be best consumed in moderation.