A review by jenny_hedberg
1Q84: Books 1 and 2 by Haruki Murakami

5.0

Tengo and Aomame. What could these characters, seemingly worlds apart, have in common? I want to liken Murakami's storytelling to a river; he traces two small streams to where they join and manages to do so through 800 pages without losing his reader's attention (at least not mine!). In the beginning, we know almost nothing about our two protagonists, but more is revealed as the chapters alternate between telling their respective stories. Murakami provides no exposition but lets his reader explore the story and how the different characters and events connect - successfully, I might add. Magical realism features prominently in the story but does not make it silly and does not distract from the story. Rather, it encourages the reader to be openminded and look beyond the obvious.

I might add to this later.