Installment II

In 1926 Emperor Taisho died, bringing on the Showa era. A dark and terrible time in Japan was about to begin. The brief interlude with democracy and modernism was over, and fascism was spreading across the land.

Sports along with history were one of Aomame’s favorite things. While she did not read many novels, any book related to history she would devour. The thing that she liked about history was that history was basically only dates and places tied together. It was not that difficult for her to remember the names of the historical eras. No rote memorization of the period years were necessary, the era period would automatically well up from within as the various historical happenings fell into their relational place; before or after, left or right. Aomame received top marks in history throughout junior high and high school. She always thought it strange when people struggled to remember the era periods. Why couldn’t they do such a simple thing?

Aomame is her real name. Her father’s grandfather came from Fukushima province, where amongst the mountains in a small town or village, there were actually several people who had “Aomame” as their family name. However, Aomame has never gone there because before she was born her father had cut off all ties with his family. Same with her mother, so Aomame had never once met her grandparents. Aomame did not travel that much, but when she did, she would always look for her family’s name in the hotel room’s telephone book. However, no what town she visited, wherever it was, not one person was listed with the last name of “Aomame”. Whenever she did this, she felt alone, thrown into the vast ocean as a solitary drifter.

Installment 1

1Q84
by Haruki Murakami

Book 1
(April – June)

Chapter 1:Aomame / Don’t be fooled by appearances


An FM classical music program was flowing from the taxi’s radio. The piece was Janáček's “Sinfonietta”. You really couldn’t say it was appropriate music to be riding in a taxi snarled in traffic. The driver was not particularly listening to the music. The middle aged taxi driver only stared closed mouthed at the endless line of traffic stretching ahead like a veteran fisherman standing in the bow of his boat reading an ominous current. Aomame reclined in the back seat, lightly closing her eyes listening to the music.

How many people in the world upon hearing the opening movement of Janáček's “Sinfonietta” could place it? Maybe “really few” to “almost nobody” would be in this group? However, Aomame for some reason could.

Janáček in 1926 composed this mini symphony. The opening theme from the beginning has an aspect of a sporting event fanfare. Aomame imagined Czechoslovakia in 1926, World War One concluded, liberated from long reign of the Austrian empire, the people drank pilsner beer in cafes, manufacturing authentic and cool machine guns, tasting the momentary peace of central Europe. Two years prior Franz Kafka had passed on from this world. No one still new of the upcoming appearance from nowhere that Hitler would make, ravaging this small beautiful country. Perhaps the most important lesson from history is that the “in the present, no one knows what the future holds”. Aomame tossed this concept of history about like a gentle breeze crossing a Bohemian plain while listening to the music.

Introduction

Introduction:

The purpose of this blog is to provide a personal interpretation of Haruki Murakami's IQ84 in English. The translations are for personal use only, and I can not guarantee their accuracy.
However, I feel it is important to give english speakers a glimpse into Murakami's new book in anticipation of the official translation which is due in September of 2011, which will no doubt result in an excellent piece of literature.