English language
Published Nov. 29, 2011 by Harvill Secker.
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 …
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.
Kaikki kolme osaa yhdessä ovat kova kokonaisuus. Välillä tuntuu, kuin von Trierin Valtakuntaa seuraisi. Välillä taas muistuu mieleen tämä hieno piirroskuva Pahkasiasta vuodelta 1983 (harmi, että meni vuodella pieleen, olisi ollut niin hieno sattuma — jos nyt sattumaksi olisi voinut kutsua).
Niin, mitä tässä enempää osaa sanoa. Ei tälle tunteelle ole sanoja.
Tämä arvio on kaikista kolmesta 1Q84:n osasta, eikä osa 3 mielestäni toimi itsenäisenä teoksena.
Murakami jatkaa 1Q84:ssä tuttua tyyliään. Kirja vangitsee kauniilla kielellään (kiitos myös kääntäjille), mielenkiintoisilla henkilöillään ja eriskummallisella juonellaan. Tuttua on myös normaalin maailman ulkopuolella elävät hahmot, sekä todellisuuden rajojen jatkuva hämärtyminen. Murakamin tyylin tuttuus on myös tämän paksun kirjan heikkous, sillä toisen osan loppupuolella tuntuu että tarina ei etene, eikä taitava ja kuvaileva hahmojen ajatusten ja tuntemusten käsittelykään enää jaksa kiehtoa. Kolmas osa on kuitenkin jälleen todella vahva, sillä sen kerronnassa tapahtuu kaivattu rytminmuutos ja tarinassakin alkaa taas tapahtua.
Myös kirjan lopun tuntemukset ovat tuttuja Murakamin aiempien kirjojen luvusta: kaikki tuntuu kuitenkin loppuvan kesken, ja avoimia kysymyksiä on enemmän kuin vastattuja. Ja vaikka kirja oli pitkä, tarttuisin empimättä osaan neljä, jos saisin lukea lisää siitä maailmasta ja niistä ihmisistä, joihin 1Q84:n sivuilla kiinnyin.
