Reviews

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

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timlarsson's review against another edition

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5.0

I liked this a lot!

chichio's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The new day is almost here, but the old one is still dragging its heavy skirts. Just as ocean water and river water struggle against each other at a river mouth, the old time and the new time clash and blend. Takahashi is unable to tell for sure which side—which world—contains his centre of gravity.

Murakami’s writing style is actually gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. His use of first-person plural perspective is stellar. He uses this omniscient camera lens to symbolise us, the reader, and he speaks about our inability to influence the story we’re reading. We’re observers, voyeurs, nothing more. What an interesting narrative voice to use!

This book, at its core, is about duality. Darkness within light, light within darkness, people and behaviours existing within perpetual grey areas. When dark things happen to people, who do they become as a result? How can darkness be used to shine a light on who people really are? When the majority of the world is sleeping, what parts of you wake up?

Using the liminal space of a singular night in Tokyo, Murakami explores the way people expose themselves under the safety of darkness. This whole book is full of conversation, of vulnerable interactions between strangers who—verbatim—mention that they don’t know why they feel this sudden urge to spill their innermost secrets. More than once, Mari is described by other characters as being easy to talk to. I found that very interesting, mostly because she spent a lot of the first three quarters of the book not being an active participant in many of the conversations. Very often she’d be talked at and would often only hum or nod her head in response. She was a void, almost; she was a darkness that people felt led to pour their own darkness into. However, as the book progresses, Mari starts to open up about what she’s dealing with but, even then, her own stories always seem to be in response to someone else’s. Darkness for darkness.

lhoppe2072's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A

3.0

inderlander's review against another edition

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4.0

Let me begin by saying that I do not usually write reviews or notes on books I've read - I use my Goodreads account as my own personal rating system to make up for my sieve-like memory's shortcomings with regard to the many books I consume. That said, After Dark has inspired me to do something a little different. This is not a review as such; there are plenty of those out there. These are simply my ramblings on a book which has captured my attention far more than most, and more than I had imagined it possibly could.

This is my first time reading anything more than very short excerpts by Murakami. I have avoided his works up to this point largely due to the "hype" I perceived to be surrounding him; typically I find such authors to be overrated, and I rarely enjoy popular bestsellers/award winners. The couple of excerpts and synopses I had skimmed did nothing to pique my interest. However, an acquaintance spoke so passionately about Murakami's writing that I decided it was finally time to get over my prejudices and give one of his books a shot. And boy, am I glad I did.

I chose After Dark as my first introduction to Murakami simply because the theme was one of the most appealing to me. Reviews also lead me to believe it would be a good, gentle introduction to the slightly less familiar style of writing.

Those reviews were right. I sat down as the sun was setting and I began to read - just a chapter or two before bed, of course. I wasn't expecting much, and I wasn't particularly engaged for the first couple of chapters or so. I don't know when it all changed, but the next thing I knew, I was closing the book after the final page and slowly blinking, trying to work out where I was and why it wasn't sunrise. I even went to my window and opened the curtains, still trying to figure out why it didn't feel right - my clock couldn't possibly be accurate. It's just before 7am, surely? Why isn't it getting light, and why is nothing moving and no one preparing for the incoming day? It took some time to return to the real world once again.

It's been a while since a book has pulled me in and transported me quite so completely into a different realm. I have found myself mentally wandering back in throughout the day, contemplating how Murakami possibly managed to paint such vivid pictures and surreal perspectives in my mind. Some of his words have resonated with me in such a way that they are almost haunting me, beautifully so.

This book will stay with me for some time. I think it may even become one of the few which I read over and over. I have always had an immense passion and fascination for words and language, and the ways in which they can be used both to little and great effect. I've been drifting away from that in recent months, but the beautiful craftsmanship of After Dark has reawakened something within me; that love of the written word and appreciation of the kind of story-telling that leaves you dazed and wanting more.

It's not often that my instincts about books or authors are proven so wrong. I regret not reading After Dark sooner, and I cannot wait to delve deeper into Murakami's works.

evelucion's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

the_sunken_library's review against another edition

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4.0

A beautifully evocative novella loosely based on the sleeping beauty tale. Murakami can sometimes be a hit and miss for me, he is not an easy, passive read and often can be too deconstructive in his narrative. However, After Dark not only has a delightfully ethereal feel due to being set in the late hours of the evening when everything is peaceful but also manages to have a strong and intriguing plot based around a young girl who goes to sleep, seemingly forever.