Attention Haruki Murakami obsessives: literary blog The Millions has the first paragraph of his highly anticipated, 928-page novel, 1Q84. The new book, published in three volumes in Japan, will be released October 25th and translated by both of Murakami's regular translators, Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel.

The opening paragraph isn't terribly exciting, except that it totally is.

I'll post the (stolen) excerpt after the jump because I know how SENSITIVE people can get about this sort of thing. In the meantime, you can check out these Murakami-inspired pin-up drawings. Notably absent is Creta Kano, the psychic prostitute from The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Psst. There's a cover image for the new book as well.

Here is your opening paragraph, as translated by Jay Rubin:

The taxi’s radio was tuned to a classical FM broadcast. Janáček’s Sinfonietta—probably not the ideal music to hear in a taxi caught in traffic. The middle-aged driver didn’t seem to be listening very closely, either. With his mouth clamped shut, he stared straight ahead at the endless line of cars stretching out on the elevated expressway, like a veteran fisherman standing in the bow of his boat, reading the ominous confluence of two currents. Aomame settled into the broad back seat, closed her eyes, and listened to the music.