The wonderful people at Random House granted me a review copy of Haruki Murakami’s new novel, 1Q84.

If, like me, you’re a fan of this writer already, you will enjoy this book. It’s been written that this monster is a best-of, where all of Murakami’s writing ticks (ears, cats, quiet single men who make small dinners and love classical music, etc.) are placed in a single big-time story. Two tales, seemingly parallel, slowly brought to an intersection.

If you’ve never read Murakami, this isn’t the worst place to begin. Don’t give up if it seems like the story’s not going anywhere. Murakami is more about the journey than the finish.