Whoa. So Murakami’s new book has a title: 1Q84. Pronounced いちきゅうはちよん. Check out the link to see his updated Shinchosha page. What a strange title. At first glance it looks like 1984, and with his recent talk of eggs, perhaps this is Murakami versus the man. He’s said it will be longer than Kafka on the Shore, and in the updated version of his book Haruki Murakami and the Music of Words, Rubin has speculated that it might be the "comprehensive novel" that Murakami has mentioned as his long-time goal. I heard it was coming out in May, but the site says 初夏 – early summer. Is that May?

Shinchosha is promoting it as his next big mysterious novel – they have links to Hard-boiled Wonderland, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, and Kafka on the Shore. Sadly, I think that’s the order I’d put them in from best to worst, and if 1Q84 has to follow Kafka, it could be crap. やれやれ。