A first read, by which I mean the first time I read a book by an author new to me, has much in common with a first date, to the extent that I can remember what that is like, having been married thirty years. But of course, I do remember, since I fall in love with my husband again every single day.

Truly!

I am about 40%, according to Kindle, through my first Haruki Murakami book, 1Q84. I was introduced to Murakami by a mutual acquaintance, or at least someone whose career I follow, Seiji Ozawa, who served the longest stint as artistic director of the BSO while I lived in Boston. Murakami and Ozawa had a series of conversations about music, the edited transcriptions of which were released as a book. Although this book claims Murakami as its author, it is hardly an example of his novel-writing. It was a gentle and supportive paean to Ozawa, spearheaded and curated by a person who is admirably well-versed in both classical and jazz music performances. It would seem Murakami listens to both recordings and concerts, often repeatedly, whenever he is not writing.

Often I read a new author because of a book review or a recommendation from a friend, but in this case, I simply decided to try one of his novels, so I had to choose one. In that case, I usually choose the most well-known, so the author will have the best chance to make a good first impression, and if I don’t like the book, it will really be because we are not suited to one another.

Having read more than a third of this quite long book, I am fairly well pleased with M., and intend to finish it. I find the characters intriguing, the format appealing, and the writing affective. There’s a whiff of fantasy/sci-fi to it, and those imaginings support and enhance the story.

As with most novels, there is some tension, and some situations to resolve, and it is still in the tangling portion, not really doing much untangling yet. So the tension for me is, will M. make the right decisions when resolving the loose ends? There are some characters who should not die, and two I hope will find each other. There is some violence perpetrated against the innocent, and some threatening bullies; will there be justice, or at least redemption?

Worrying about these resolutions can make me a bit nervous at times, but there’s nothing for it but to read. By the end of the book I will know if M. and I will be continuing our relationship, or if it was just one of those things.