1Q84 is a book with two parallel storylines that gradually become interwoven. Aomame is a beautiful young fitness instructor who also kills abusive husbands on the side; Tengo is a young teacher at a cram school who gets in over his head when he ghost-writes a book for a mysterious young woman. They are gradually brought together by a cult, little people, an "air chrysalis", and a shared destiny. The writing is lovely, the Japanese details fascinating, the imagery striking, and the payoff almost worth the time invested.
