Haruki Murakami's 1Q84

October 19, 2011

I don't know what the english blurb reads like, but here in France it looks like

Quote

The past - as it maybe was - sheds on the mirror the shadow of a present - different from what it was ?

An unprecedented editorial event

An hypnotic and disconcerting piece of literature.

An adventure story.

A love story.

Two beings united in a secret pact.

So I started this book, i'm like 30 pages in.

To sum it up, a young and unknown author meets a book critic in order to present him a manuscript that has stricken his mind. The novel is by a 17 yo girl, and despite the fact it is poorly written, the story is mesmerizing. The critic suggests the young author to rewrite the novel : once it's done they'll publish the book, receive a renowned prized, fill their pockets with money. One condition though : the young author must stay in the shadows, so that all the fame, which will get amplified by her young age, goes to the girl. That will imply they keep the secret : this is the only way the book sells as good as Francoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse (published in 1954 when she was 18).

Now, let's read that blurb again