1Q84

How it reads

1Q84 is literary fiction (magical realism, specifically), and its dominant mood is tense. The suspense is the kind you feel in your shoulders. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in a big city setting, in the present day, told across two timelines. Its central concerns are identity, love and power and politics. In weight it's heavy and literary — denser, more serious, and more demanding of you.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending is left open, for you to argue about. At 944 pages it's a real commitment. It's well known, the kind of book most keen readers have heard of.