Darlings, THIS Was A Literary Event!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, not since last November, when I was seduced by Jeffrey Eugenides' "The Marriage Plot", have I been so riveted to a book as when recently reading Haruki Murakami's "1Q84." Clutching this voluminous text (925 pages), reading it with all the fervor of a high school student cramming for an AP exam, Monsieur practically had to tear it out of my hands at times.

Reading this novel is like riding a roller coaster. You get on, things start slowly, then, before you know it, you are racing to find out what happens next. What with walking into another dimenisoned version of our world, an Asian serial killer with an agenda, a prodigy authoress, a fanatical, cultish, religious Leader, and ties binding two folk to elementary school days, reading "1Q84" is like putting together an interlocking jigsaw puzzle, where all the pieces finally come together in place.

Sweeties, if you think I am going to tell you what or how, forget it; you have to read it for yourself. But, despite its mammoth length, I have not read so satisfying and well structured a novel in a long time. This is the kind of work that keeps the faith to those of us still interested in serious, literary fiction.

I know of several people before me who have read it already, or who have it on their to-be-read shelves. All I can say is, get this off the shelf quickly, and start reading, because once begun, you will not get get off "the ride" until you complete it.

My one caveat--while Murakami throws together an interesting mix, including a reference to Faye Dunaway and "The Thomas Crown Affair," he offers no mention of his culture's leading export--Gojira (aka Godzilla to the more plebeian!!!) I can tell you he is pretty peeved about it. But it could be worse--if Rodan or Mothra had been mentioned, there would have been hell to pay!!!!!!

If you have tickets to 'Clear Day', turn them in, save your time viewing that mess, and take up this book instead!!!!!!! How surprising that one of the first reading experiences of the year turns out to be the most satisfying!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, I am telling you, it will have you craving miso soup!!!!!!!!!