Literary · Fantasy
1Q84
In Tokyo in 1984, a fitness instructor with a secret life and a maths teacher who moonlights as a ghostwriter each slip into a world that is subtly different from the one they knew. Their paths, tied by a childhood bond, start to converge.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2009
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 1184
- Format
- Book 1 of 3 in 1Q84
Read this if you want a huge, hypnotic novel that blends romance, a cult thriller and the supernatural.
Skip this if you want a brisk read or are uneasy with graphic sexual violence and abuse of girls.
The feel
Content warnings
Also reported by Hardcover readers:
Quick answers about 1Q84
- What is 1Q84 about?
- In Tokyo in 1984, a fitness instructor with a secret life and a maths teacher who moonlights as a ghostwriter each slip into a world that is subtly different from the one they knew. Their paths, tied by a childhood bond, start to converge.
- Who should read 1Q84?
- Read it if you want a huge, hypnotic novel that blends romance, a cult thriller and the supernatural. Skip it if you want a brisk read or are uneasy with graphic sexual violence and abuse of girls.
- How long and how fast is 1Q84?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 1184 pages, first published in 2009.
- Does 1Q84 have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, Sexual content, Abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault.
- Can I borrow 1Q84 for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends 1Q84; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after 1Q84?
- Readers who liked it often move on to Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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Because you might love it
If you loved 1Q84
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Kafka on the Shore
A shorter Murakami novel with a similar eerie atmosphere and parallel storylines that eventually meet.
-
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Equally sprawling and surreal, with a more bewildered, everyman hero.
-
Nineteen Eighty-Four The title is a nod to Orwell's novel, and both stories involve a powerful hidden force reshaping reality.
Literary
