IQ84 – a funny sort of book review

I’m feeling a little bit guilty because you all said such encouraging things about my Clueless story and I still haven’t finished it. But I will – I’ve just been busy and it requires a certain kind of concentration which has been elusive lately.

Here is a NYT review of 1Q84. I always like to read the criticism after I’ve read the book, because it clarifies my murky feelings, my half-formed doubts and theories. But in some ways I don’t like criticism because it takes away from that waking-dream sensation of reading that I love so much. It deflates the book, pointing out that it is nothing but a pack of cards. But I also love having conversations about books, and that’s what reviews provide – conversation starters, ways into the text. I wish we could have longer conversations about New Zealand books. The great thing about reading Murakami is that you can search and uncover hundreds of reviews, each offering a different take on the book.