Reading the Chunksters discussion

Week 4...thoughts on this part?

So we learn about Tamkai and how Aomame first began her "profession".Aomame made a friend that could possible help her or hinder her.
We also get to learn more about Tengo and his father's relationship. Air Chrysalis is a winner, and Fuka-Eri practices speaking at a press conference.

That is the condensed version. :)

Aomame's history partially explains her misandry of abusive husbands. I actually think that we learn more about the past of our two protagonists, and this past shapes the characters.
Murakami does not simply gradually converge the plot lines, he does it with a masterful move. Aomame might be in the parallel universe while Tengo is editing the description of this parallel universe. It reminds me of the novel, written by another post-modern writer, Milorad Pavić, namely one of his best novels, Landscape Painted with Tea, where he also explores the connections between the author and the characters and the coexistence of two realities - real and imaginary.

I find it quite interesting that those two people (Tengo and Aomame) who are connected by some invisible gossamer threads experience dreams differently. Tengo's dreams are always full of images, visions, and symbols. Aomame's dreams are hollow, empty, as if she is in the black hole - when she wakes up, she does not remember anything, whether they are dreams or the events of the previous night.

I also enjoy the frank descriptions and discussions of sex. This book with the prudish attitude to sex would be so much worse.

This was a very interesting section. Aomame's history with her friend does explain her willingness to dispose of these men who treat their wives badly.

I like your view, Zulfiya, about Aomame being in the universe that Tengo is editing. That would be a really interesting twist!

I am a bit creeped out by Aomame's new friend, Ayumi. I think she's too pushy and needy and I feel like she will bring bad news in the end... but who knows.

I am surprised that Tengo was as ok with Eri's answers to his questions as he seemed to be. Most of them, she didn't answer at all! Just smiled at him knowingly. I would think these kinds of "answers" will cause problems at the actual ceremony...

A reality within reality would actually be an interesting twist! And a very believable one. I love how Murakami never seizes to amaze me with his imagination. Even after reading several of his books, I still don't know what to expect.

Ayumi actually reminds me of Midori from Norwegian Wood. Both are sexually curious, kindhearted, and somewhat childish. Both are at the same time extremely needy, which might give make them a bit annoying. I do like Ayumi though. Aomame is playing a dangerous game, being friends with a cop. But then I can see them teaming up, with Ayumi being so resentful of the current state of the police force in Japan.

I find that Murakami uses sex in his books to reflect upon the emotional state of his characters. I don't know about Aomame's strange fetish with balding men, but her choice to have only casual sex says a lot about her rejection of commitment until she finds THE man. She also seems to be the one to take control in bed, which speaks volumes of her strong personality. I think sexuality of the characters in general is done very well by Murakami and is just as important as their background story, so I wouldn't say sex is there for nothing.

I'm new to to the group. I have been reading this and wished I had somebody to discuss it with, then got the idea to check to see if any groups were reading it. I have enjoyed your comments on the earlier chapters.

Regarding chapters 13-16...this is when parts of Tengo's and Aomame's histories converge and we at suspect and then confirm they knew each other as children. Aomame's repeats words from the prayer that Tengo recalled in his memory of the girl in the religious cult. Tengo, too, has a connection with Janacek's Sinfonietta. Finally, we have Aomame's side of Tengo's memory of taking a girl by the hand. So Tengo is the boy she fell in love with and hopes destiny will bring back to her in a chance encounter. I'm looking forward to seeing how Murakami brings this off. And now Aomame's 1Q84 is tied up in the world of Air Chrysalis and its two moons. So many layers of story here slyly blending together!

Some other comments...I wondered if Aomame was the victim of a date rape drug in her foursome with Ayumi. And I think it's interesting the cultural touchpoints in this book are overwhelmingly western: music, movies, literature. I wonder how common this is in serious contemporary Japanese literature. The only Murakami I have read before this is Kafka on the Shore, which I read years ago but recall had a fixation with a Beethoven violin sonata.

KC that's an interesting thought about the date rape drug and Aomame's lack of memory and awful hangover, both of which she says are very unusual for her. An interesting thought given her "job" and Ayumi's educating teenagers about these risks.

KC wrote: "I'm new to to the group. I have been reading this and wished I had somebody to discuss it with, then got the idea to check to see if any groups were reading it. I have enjoyed your comments on th..."

It's very common with Murakami. Some Japanese people and some critics have a hard time with this as his books don't seem Japanese and could take place anywhere. The two that stick out as being Japanese are Norwegian Wood and this one. While this book has a lot of Western allusions and set pieces. It is definitely set in Japan. I'm not sure it would work if it where located in any other place or any other time for that matter.

It's true -- so far the only thing that's really given it away to me about actually being "Japanese" is how he keeps mentioning that Eri "asked without the question mark". Which, I guess works for English, we could assume she doesn't use a rising tone at the end of her sentence... but it's more meaningful in Japanese where they actually have a syllable "ka" that they say at the end of a question to indicate that it is a question. So she really ... isn't saying the question mark. :)