InsideJapan News Network

Author Haruki Murakami's mysterious new novel 1Q84 has finally been published in Japan.

The anticipation for the new book, details of which had previously been restricted solely to the title, has propelled pre-sales to unexpected levels, forcing publisher Shinchosa to increase its initial print run to 480,000.

Murakami has been intensely secretive about the content of the new book following criticism that his previous work Kafka on the Shore had been spoiled by advance coverage.

Speculation about the book's content is rife, with many fans guessing that the title is an allusion to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Toshiaki Uchida, assistant manager at Yaesu Book Center, told the Associated Press: "The secrecy surrounding the work is making customers absolutely famished for this book."

Earlier this month, Variety reported that the forthcoming film adaptation of Murakami's earlier work Norwegian Wood is set to star Kenichi Matsuyama and Academy Award-nominated actress Rinko Kikuchi.

Written by Jehan Ranasinghe


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