1Q84 (単行本)

First published in Japan by Kodansha (2009/10)

Book 3 available on 16th April 2010 from amazon.co.jp

1Q84 was published in Japan on Friday (29th May) and to mark the occasion, Daniel Morales at howtojaponese.com is live blogging the release over the weekend. You can read more about the live blog here and here and follow Daniels progress from the main page of his site.

Daniel has also posted an interesting note about the speculation around with novels subject matter. I would highly recommend checking out Daniel's site.

The Millions entery on the release - check out the comments for an interesting discussion on when the English translation will appear and if it will be cut in size, like A Wind Up Bird Chronicle. Also there's more on the 1Q84 specilation by Ben Dooley at The Millions

There's been a supprising amount of English language coverage - most stating how, even before 1Q84 hits the stores, Murakami's new novel is a hit in Japan .

- The Guardian
- Los Angeles Times
- Associated Press
- Mainichi Daily News
- Japan Probe (Video)
- San Francisco Chronicle
- The Australian
- Christian Science Monitor
- CBC News
- Wikipedia Page

shinchosha's official 1Q84 site

Scott Esposito take on the new novel in Conversational Reading

Print run for second volume of Murakami novel '1Q84' hits 1 million - The Mainichi Daily News reports that Shinchosha Publishing Co. said it will extend the print run of the second volume of Haruki Murakami's bestselling novel, "1Q84," bringing the total number of copies to 1 million.

Harvill Secker and Vintage confirm publication date and translators of 1Q84

UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, have been acquired by Harvill Secker, who will publish the first two volumes in a single edition simultaneously with Knopf in the United States in September 2011. The paperback editions will be published by Vintage. No date has been set for publishing the third volume. The first two books are being translated by Jay Rubin and the third by Philip Gabriel

1Q84 Vol 3 Teaser

Shinchosha Publishing Co. put up posters Monday in 25 stations in the greater Tokyo area advertising a third volume in Haruki Murakami's best-selling novel "1Q84."

It shows three Qs — a blue Q to go with the yellowish green one on the cover of the first volume and the orange one on the second. Shinchosha said it will leave it up to the readers to imagine what the ad means.

synopsis

“1Q84” -- the letter Q and the number 9 have the same pronunciation in Japanese -- is Murakami’s first novel in more than four years. It opens with a woman named Aomame, which means “blue bean,” listening to Czech composer Leos Janacek’s “Sinfonietta” in a Toyota Crown Royal Saloon cab. The chapters alternate between Aomame and a male character named Tengo.

1Q84 is described as a "complex and surreal narrative" which "shifts back and forth between tales of two characters, a man and a woman, who are searching for each other." The themes consist of murder, history, cult religion, violence, family ties and love.

Why Murakami's best-selling '1Q84' is worth the wait" - Nice article detailing 1Q84's plot, in Sunday 5th July's Japan Times by Matthew Chozick

Murakami's '1Q84': A delicately constructed parallel world - review from The Mainichi Daily News

Murakami reveals Orwell and Aum as twin inspirations for new novel - 1Q84 draws on his interviews with cult's victims and fulfils longheld ambition to write a kind of 'near-past' 1984 - by Alison Flood, The Guardian 26th June 2009

What is the parallel world in Murakami's new novel '1Q84' - The Mainichi Daily News answers common questions readers may have about the parallel world discussed in Haruki Murakami's new novel "1Q84."

Loss and Recovery 1q84 and Murakami's Sunken Continent - Daniel MORALES has just published on Neojaponisme an essential article/review on 1Q84

reviews / articles

Murakami reveals plans for third installment of '1Q84' novel - In a interview with the Mainichi Daliy News, Japan Murakami reveals plans for third installment of '1Q84' novel. After printing over 2 million copies for part 1 and 2 Murakami hopes to have part 3 published next summer. Asked for his reason for continuing the story, Murakami said ' I began wondering how things were going to unfold, and realized I wanted to write the third book'

'1Q84' Is Murakami’s New Masterpiece - The Korea Times review by Chung Ah-young

Bloomberg reports that unprecedented demand for Haruki Murakami’s latest novel, “1Q84,” has forced its Japanese publisher to double the first print run of the title, the company’s fastest-selling ever. Shinchosha Publishing Co. is doubling the first print run of Book 1 to 400,000 copies, and will also boost printing of Book 2 to 370,000 copies from 180,000.

New Murakami interview - Aum trials a starting point for 1Q84. From The Yomiuri Shimbun via Asia Daily News Online.

In the second part to Murakami's new interview - Sex, violence 'doors into the human soul' - with The Yomiuri Shimbun, he talks about 1Q84 and how society has changed since he was first published in 1979

More 1Q84 roundups, this time from:
Reuters India
Global Voices Online

Top-selling Japanese novel sparks new demand for Cleveland Orchestra recording - The latest novel's unprecedented success has also boosted sales of other relevant products, including a CD containing classical music that is frequently mentioned in the novel. A whopping 6,000 orders have been made for the "Sinfonietta" CD of Czech composer Leos Janacek in just one week after the release of "1Q84," according to Sony Music Japan International Inc. The CD contains the version conducted by George Szell and performed by the Cleveland Orchestra -- the same classical piece that the novel's protagonist listens to.