The enigma of the title, the multisensory style and connections with manga: discovering an intense and original story
There would be so many things to say about this novel and many have already been said. I will start with a general thought on the practice of reading: anyone who reads a lot knows that, coming across contemporary works, the biggest annoyance is the feeling of "already read". It's that very boring feeling that situations, jokes, twists and settings appear as already seen, revised and stereotyped.
Well, con 1Q84 I didn't have that impression!
Some dynamics between the characters reminded me of the world of manga, I admit it, but the story, the hidden messages and meanings of the book kept mine high sense of wonder for their originality.
I couldn't wait for the plot to unfold, so mysterious and particular. In the end, many unsolved puzzles remain, but that didn't bother me, On the contrary, invited me to reflect once again on everything I read, experiencing the pleasure of reliving the events with the characters.
The choice of title
As you may have noticed, the originality of the work already starts from the title: 1Q84.
It's a date (1984, obvious reference to Orwell's novel), but instead of nine there is one Q. This is because the letter “Q” has the same pronunciation as the number nine in Japanese (kyuu) and it is also the initial of “question mark”, i.e. “question mark”. Already, because the protagonist Aomame has several question marks to resolve, from the moment his adventure begins. Through a strange passage (a shabby staircase in the middle of the ring road), is projected into a ramification of "his" 1984, thus finding himself in a kind of parallel world where things are quite different from how he knows them. There are some almost imperceptible differences and some macroscopic ones, which involve both the everyday and the metaphysical sphere.
Use: if you want to delve deeper into the themes of Orwell's masterpiece to grasp all the connections with Murakami's novel, I recommend you read the article I wrote in collaboration with the team at Stargarden, that is to say What is Orwellian dystopia?
Multisensory writing
One of the many peculiarities of the style is that engages the reader completely, almost as if we were reading in "3D". Each character is described in all its particularities: how he is dressed, how he moves and gestures, what expressions/grimaces appear on his face. Every moment of the book, Furthermore, It has a soundtrack, since the author stops to describe the music that the protagonists listen to (on the other hand, Murakami knows about it, seeing as he ran a jazz bar for years).
Everything is narrated in such a way as to make us feel the same emotions as the characters, even during silences.
Here's an example of what I mean:
A long silence followed. There would be time to cross a long, narrow room, take a dictionary, check the meaning of a word, and go back.
It's an accurate but also simple style, that captures you; ironic, delightful. And all this despite the fact that it is translated from a language very different from ours!
Suggestions from the world of manga and Japanese folklore
Many reviews focus on the many references in the book: American literature, European and Asian; cinema, musica, poetry. I will focus on a field that I know well and which belongs to Japanese pop culture: branched out.
First things first, the mere fact of describing the characters in such an expressive way gave me the sensation of seeing them in front of me, as if they were on the page of an illustrated work. Secondly, I can't help but feel tenderness for the male protagonist (Have), which reminds me of many comic book characters.
The love game between the characters
Like many manga protagonists, Tengo is not particularly beautiful or brilliant, yet his calm and gentle character seems attract women of all appearances and ages like magnets: young, mature, IT'S OVER, prosperose, frankly o navigate. And he finds himself “in spite of himself” in intimate situations with them, without ever making the first move.
One of the great progenitors of this trend is stato Kimagure Orange road di Izumi Matsumoto (whose anime was brought to Italy with the title It's almost magic Johnny), followed a few years later by the much appreciated one Video Girl Ai di Masakazu Katsura, which re-proposes the he/she/the other love triangle (where the his in question is nothing special, while the two lei they are wonderful) in a more science fiction key. Another example that comes to mind is 100% strawberry di Mizuki Kawashita, less famous work but still fresh and enjoyable.
Feeding myself on these stories for years, I have asked myself several times: «I wonder if role playing is really like this in Japan, or whether it is simply what young Japanese want?». Despite the decades spent reading comics, I still can't understand it!
In any case, returning to the novel, Tengo is not a simple weathervane at the mercy of femme fatale on duty, but he is also capable of feeling strong feelings. His problem is that, per (ri)find true love, it will take the whole book… and then arrive at a wonderful and moving scene, which represents the culmination of his emotional journey.
The female protagonist: Aomame
If the male protagonist is tender, co-star Aomame, at first sight, appears cold and ruthless. Inside himself, But, hides the same need for love as Tengo.
Aomame is one of the deepest characters I've ever encountered on paper, one cannot help but hope to the end that all the efforts she makes will lead her to her goal. She is truly a very successful figure and I feel like I know her as if she were a friend of mine!
Other references to Japanese culture
Of course, the world of manga is not the only one in which Murakami's "Japaneseness" is evident. I think one of the many interesting aspects of the novel is the charm of the references to the Rising Sun (for example in spiritual beliefs relating to ghosts, so a soul who has regrets continues to wander in the earthly world disturbing everyone until it finds peace).
Those who have a little mastery of Japanese culture will find these references satisfying, while those who don't know it will be fascinated by it and, Perhaps, will be encouraged to delve deeper into it.
