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A review by paganhill
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
1Q84 or as I would like to call it, Another Town of Cats. This is a concoction of a mixed-bag. The novel is both compelling and soooo long, imaginative but typical, detailed but says nothing. Maybe the last one is a bit harsh. Its a minimalist’s psychedelic mystery. It has boring, humble maybe, characters that I want to hang out with and tell them how interesting they are. I am pretty sure I enjoyed the novel.
It hook me right away but I never fault that it was important. The novel does do something that turned me off. Later in the story the author justifies what we think is sexual assault on child, till then, in a way that does not work or needed more reaction from the characters when it’s revealed. In Book 3 a new POV character is introduced. The character fails to be interesting enough for the added pages. Most of what this character adds could have been done in other ways with the characters I like, Aomame and Tango.
Hate to say it, especially with the nice interview with the translators at the end of the audiobook I listen to. The choice to make references to artist from Europe and the US so very often pulled me out of the story every time. It wouldn’t have bothered me if Town of Cats wasn’t written by a Swiss guy and the food they eat wasn’t boring food from the US.
It would have.
There are so many odd references. If one character made them and the people around them didn’t understand that would have been great and funny. I can’t recall any humor in this book. Not that the novel was bad for its lack. The references were bad.
Maybe the book is just okay. It’s a melodrama with a happy ending and some other okay shit.
Great narration.
It hook me right away but I never fault that it was important. The novel does do something that turned me off. Later in the story the author justifies what we think is sexual assault on child, till then, in a way that does not work or needed more reaction from the characters when it’s revealed. In Book 3 a new POV character is introduced. The character fails to be interesting enough for the added pages. Most of what this character adds could have been done in other ways with the characters I like, Aomame and Tango.
Hate to say it, especially with the nice interview with the translators at the end of the audiobook I listen to. The choice to make references to artist from Europe and the US so very often pulled me out of the story every time. It wouldn’t have bothered me if Town of Cats wasn’t written by a Swiss guy and the food they eat wasn’t boring food from the US.
It would have.
There are so many odd references. If one character made them and the people around them didn’t understand that would have been great and funny. I can’t recall any humor in this book. Not that the novel was bad for its lack. The references were bad.
Maybe the book is just okay. It’s a melodrama with a happy ending and some other okay shit.
Great narration.