Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: 1Q84

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm impatiently yearning for 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami


Goodreads Summary:
Haruki Murakami is an international phenomenon. When Books One and Two of his latest masterpiece, 1Q84, were published in Japan, a million copies were sold in one month, and the critical acclaim that ensued was reported all over the globe. Readers were transfixed by the mesmerising story of Aomame and Tengo and the strange parallel universe they inhabit. Then, one year later, to the surprise and delight of his readers, Murakami published an unexpected Book Three, bringing the story to a close. In order to reflect the experience of 1Q84’s first readers, Harvill Secker is publishing Books One and Two in one beautifully designed volume and Book Three in a separate edition. 

A long-awaited treat for his fans, 1Q84 is also a thrilling introduction to the unique world of Murakami’s imagination. This hypnotically addictive novel is a work of startling originality and, as the title suggests, a mind-bending ode to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. (The number 9 in Japanese is pronounced like the letter ‘Q’).The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?Both Aomame and Tengo notice that the world has grown strange; both realise that they are indispensable to each other. While their stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, the two come closer and closer to intertwining.

Sounds really interesting, right?

4 comments:

  1. That DOES sound interesting. Plus an awesome cover. I have to confess I've never read any Haruki. Eek.

    ~Asheley

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds interesting! I had never heard of this before. New follower!

    My WoW

    ReplyDelete
  3. This one does sound good. I have Kafka on the Shore sitting on my TBR pile staring at me. Murakami is definitely on my list of 'Authors that Intimidate Me' probably because so many people love his work. Have you read any of his other stuff? Love your blog by the way...new follower!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am really excited for this one...luckily plenty of Murakami I haven't read yet otherwise I would be feeling very impatient!

    ReplyDelete