I am currently reading the interminable magnum opus that is Murakami's 3 volume, 1157 page (in this edition at least) 1Q84. I am about 3/4 of the way through and have mixed feelings about the story.
The first half of the book gave me a real 'stop-start' feeling. With the two simultaneous stories unfolding, as soon as something would be interesting, or the story would heat up, the chapter ends and the next is back to the other story that is in a lull. Then that story would start to get interesting, and you're left on a cliff-hanger, then back to the other story that has cooled off again. I found it kind of frustrating, as I never felt fully engrossed in the story. I wonder if that was the intended effect, or if it was just a strange way of trying to keep the reader moving through the book.
The second half of the story does indeed pick-up, though. I do find myself wanting to know how things end up. I definitely enjoy Murakami's style, for the most part, and his ideas are interesting, offbeat, and delightfully fantastical. Some of the tangents are a bit tiresome, and I do feel that the book could be at least 35% shorter and have the same effect. I had the same feeling with another one of his novels, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.
I'm wondering what other opinions of this book are. Has anyone else read it, or any of his other work? I want to hear your opinions! no spoilers please :)