The Folio Society Reveals Gorgeous Illustrated Edition of Haruki Murakami's 1Q84

The Folio Society remains the company to beat when it comes to lavish, illustrated hardcover editions of classic books and comics. IGN can exclusively reveal the next classic novel receiving The Folio Society treatment, Haruki Murakami's magnum opus 1Q84.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive first look at this gorgeous double hardcover set:

This edition of 1Q84 features 12 new full-color illustrations by artist Daniel Liévano - 7 single-page images and 5 double-page spreads. The book is presented as two cloth-bound hardcovers in a slipcase gilded with a pink metallic foil.

Here's the official summary of 1Q84:

Tokyo, 1984 – but not quite. Two moons hang in the sky, a sinister cult casts its shadow, and something has shifted in the air. As Aomame and Tengo move through their separate worlds, they begin to sense that their lives are quietly, uncannily linked. Murakami’s hypnotic novel is a sprawling, surreal love story wrapped in a mystery, all set in a reality that’s not quite real. Haunting, heart-tugging and deliciously disorienting, 1Q84 is the kind of book you emerge from blinking, unsure which world you’ve just left. Descend the emergency staircase of the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway and enter a world where things are not what they seem!

“This magnificent two-volume edition of Murakami's magical realist epic is the latest addition to the Folio Murakami library,” said Folio Society Editor Sophia Schoepfer in a statement. “The overall package design is a tribute to magical realism — a nod to the alternate realities and dark, dreamlike sequences that fill 1Q84. Bound in luxurious purple cloth and held within an intricate foil-blocked binding in a dreamy palette of golds, pinks, and lilacs, this substantial, highly illustrated two-volume set will be a coveted release for fans and collectors alike.”

“Illustrating Murakami has given me the opportunity to do something not all illustrators get to do: change styles without changing essence,” said Liévano. “I believe something similar happens in Murakami’s literature—regardless of whether a book is about twisted religious cults, wind-up birds, adolescents with unbearable pain, or talking cats, there’s always a leitmotif where artistic dancing is allowed, and the author’s identity quietly shines through. I’m deeply excited by the challenge of playfully adapting to the narrative novelty of each new book, yet I equally enjoy discovering what remains unchanged. I suppose that’s the everlasting mystery of identity itself.”

The Folio Society edition of 1Q84 is priced at £150 / US $215 and will be available for order beginning at 8am PT on September 16. You can find out more on The Folio Society website.

Previously, The Folio Society revealed a gorgeous illustrated hardcover of Stephen King's It.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.