"All this leads us to the unavoidable conclusion that after over 30 years and countless pages…"

“All this leads us to the unavoidable conclusion that after over 30 years and countless pages Murakami has very little left to say. If the mediocre books of the 2000s didn’t evidence it enough, this book does; in 1Q84 there is simply nothing that Murakami hasn’t said better elsewhere. I write this with a great sadness, as a reader who has loved Murakami’s novels and who feels a sense of shame at having to warn off other lovers of Murakami’s work. But there is no other verdict to register. 1Q84 is a great disappointment to the reputation Murakami has built as a writer, and it will not be remembered very favorably when assessing his legacy. It raises a serious doubt as to whether Murakami has anything left to tell us.” -

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami | Quarterly Conversation

I finished 1Q84 myself this weekend and found this quote, indeed this entire review, reflected my opinion of the experience. I still recommend “Wind Up Bird,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “Hard-Boiled Wonderland” - steer clear of this one, the payoff and ingenuity are sadly nowhere to be found.

Tagged as: Books, reviews