The unbearable greatness of 1Q84 - A Cinematic Review & Essay | Haruki Murakami Art

In todays essay, I am talking about 1Q84.
A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver's enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84. A world that bears a question.
Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.
A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell's, 1Q84 is Haruki Murakami's most ambitious undertaking yet.
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Welcome to Haruki Murakami Art. I would like to invite you into a magnificent world, created by one of the most inspiring authors of our time: Haruki Murakami. Together we will discover his works, characters, illusions and inspired artworks. Based on my Instagram page of the same name, we will now try to put his works on screen.
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[misty]

Thank you for this. Just found your channel the other day and am loving your content. 1Q84 was my first Murakami! I saw it displayed at my library several years ago and was drawn in by the Chip Kidd cover art of the face of the girl on front and boy on back, probably also by the quotes of praise which I now love to read in all my Murakami books.
Reading this book first was strange. It seemed so long and I had no idea who Murakami was. I put the book down for a while, renewing my library check out several times. But I would pick it up and get so engrossed and pulled in, and kind of overwhelmed. I didn’t give up and by the end I felt as you describe and wanted more.

I now have read most of his books and he is my favorite author and I find it hard to read other authors at times. I have 3 more novels of his to read but want to read 1Q84 again.

I’m sure I’ll read them all multiple times

[Madiliciious]

Your work is what I had been looking for. Thank you very much

[jerryforman]

Probably my favorite novel ever. Hail Murakami!

[radiantchristina]

Excellent video! This is one of my favorite books.

[giulianopietoso]

Wow. I just finished the book today and this video is perfect! Thank you for it ❤

[DimitrisChrrr]

Just finished the book, and this video is so great❤

[desireecrossing]

I’m so glad you mentioned the over sexualisation of the female characters! I found the same thing with Killing Commendatore. It drove me nuts, with all of these women going on about their body parts… I’ve never known a woman who thinks about them that much.

Aside from that, it was a great book and this was a a beautiful, creative review! Thank you

[musashi]

Has your recent experience with this novel challenged your hierarchical lineup of Murakami novels?

[hunterthompson]

I really love this novel and enjoyed all of your visual interpretations of the characters with the exception of Fuka-Eri who was 17, good-looking, with ample cleavage if I remember correctly. Tengo wanted her to wear tight sweaters. LOL

[ToastingInEpicBread]

One of the only things I can say for sure is that Fukada Eri does connect Aomame and Tengo. Murakami is careful to avoid any fact to confirm any interventions of the little people but it appears that the Little People creating the Air Chyrsalis causes Fukaeri to run away from Sakigake, which sets into motions the events that bring Tengo and Aomame together. She was only able to escape because of the dohta and, as Tengo wonders, we can 't say which is the "real" Eri. Did the maza or the dohta escape? Because we cannot see the other one, we only meet one, we can never confirm. Similar to how we are not sure to the extent by which 1Q84 is different than the original world because we hardly see the world before Aomame's departure from it. Many distorted perceptions, and unrealized connections, and unexplained coincidences. They all dissolve by the end to give way to the resolution of the star-crossed lovers narrative arc but hardly though logic. Moreso plot points just faded away until they were so distant they were no longer important. Partially because they did not lead anywhere and partially because other things materialize in their place. By the end everything wraps up. Not so much nicely as succinctly, as if there were no ways left to draw it out any longer.

[obidip]

Great review! Loved you interpretation of the moons
And your opinion about the over sexualization of the female characters was on point!
Thanks, keep up the good work

[jannminn]

The city scene shown is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia… not Tokyo. Hmmm

[hritesh]

You spoiled that tengo is on same world as aomame. It is not obvious from beginning