1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

The Cover
It is beautiful. It says five things.
1. 1Q84
2. Haruki Murakami
3. A Novel
4. International Best Seller
5. "Murakami is a genius." Chicago Tribune

The Pages
Heavy press cream colored paper. Beautiful inside cover of two moons, one glowing white, the other clouded and dark against a black sky. Really the design of this book is superb. The page numbers are normal on the left and backwards on the right. 1Q84 is inscribed on the side of each page near the page number, also backwards on the right side.

By page 40
We have met two characters. One has traveled down the "rabbit hole," in this case, an expressway stairwell. So far it is expertly written- each scene a performance piece, set to silent music, with invisible cues. It's his best work yet, I'm already convinced.

The Entire Book
Haruki Murakami is a master. He kept the tension equal the whole time. The final outcome didn't hit until the last ten pages. And the whole time I was biting my nails, thinking, will he end it happily? I didn't know. I am immesely pleased with this book. I will carry it in my heart always. Also, I'm going to get a new tattoo on Friday. It's going to be from Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World.

This book gets 6/5