Even though I read mostly European literature, I am always on the lookout for works by authors outside it. So when I saw that Dolce Belezza was organising the Japanese Literature challenge 6, I immediately registered and was excited about the works of literature I was to read: I was really looking forward to uncovering new and old talents of that culture.
My choices for this challenge were primarily books recommended by friends and family, who knew my likes and dislikes. Except for one: Murakami's 1Q84, a trilogy that serves as an ode to Orwell's 1984. I have to admit I had not heard of Murakami, but given the wide acceptance this book received, I was willing to try. I bought the enormous tome of the first two books and started to read...
