He began pumping slowly. These two sentences, on the second to last page of this 924 page novel, are a neat summary of Murakami’s methods in 1Q84. Tengo has spent the novel longing for Aomame and they have just been reunited after twenty years. ‘Pumping’ refers to the action of Tengo’s penis in Aomame’s vagina. 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami, is a near-past story inspired by Orwells futuristic 1984. It is told through the bizarre experiences of two protagonists searching for each other: a woman who descends into an alternate universe in 1984, and a passive college entrance exam prep instructor who is also an unfulfilled novelist. Clear rating. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. by. Haruki Murakami, Jay Rubin (Translator) 4.15 avg rating — 278,082 ratings — published 1994 — 43 editions. Want to Read. saving…. There are two main characters in Haruki Murakami's novel 1Q84: Aomame and Tengo.. Aomame. Aomame is a thirty-year-old assassin who has been hired by a wealthy woman, referred to as the Dowager, to 1Q84 Analysis. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. The story is set in 1984 Japan, and it revolves around Aomame and Tengo, two individuals whose fate became intertwined from when they were ten-year-olds and Aomame tightly squeezed Tengo 3.9 out of 5 stars. Collects books from: 1Q84. The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her 1Q84 has a big, romantic heart and deserves to be celebrated on our shores.” —Josh Emmons, People (3.5/4 stars) “[1Q84] gets off to a vintage Murakami start: eerie wrinkles in an otherwise ordinary Tokyo day. A woman stuck in traffic decides to get out and walk. Synopsis. NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo. A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’. A world that bears cLLB.