If I buy the paper version of this book, it would be about 1,000 pages, or slightly over 3 inches thick. (Harry Potter 7 is nearly 800 pages.) But it was an (e)library loan, so I did not notice. I was blissfully half-way done until the loan expired. I could renew, but I simply bought it for $10 and continue reading. That, my friend, is the difference between eBook and paper version.
It is a complex and, obviously, long story. The author would take long detours, but they were thoughtful, relevant, and connected. The story happened in the year of 1984. Since it was an alternate universe, Aomame called it 1Q84, which sounds like “Ichi Que Hachi Yon,” a synonym with 1984 when the story happened. The pun was a nod to the parallel universes. This cleverness is lost in the translation.
The central plot of the book involves the creation of a book, Air Chrysalis, originally written by the young and mysterious Fuka-Eri. In a strange way, the fictional universe in that book appeared to become real for the main characters. The author balanced the complexity, suspension, and revelation masterfully. Although a long story and not in quick pace, it kept me engaged and hooked all the way.
The translation was superb, as if Hauki Marakami was an excellent native English writer. Funny that one of the key element was Tengo’s re-writing of Air Chrysalis. I wondered what went through the translators’ minds there.
A long story as it is, I appreciate the decision by the US publisher to combine all three volumes into one physical book. Again, I appreciate Kindle’s weightlessness. I cannot really lug a 1,000-page book around the world all those weeks.