Book Review: After Dark

Book #74

“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.” — Haruki Murakami, After Dark

I read somewhere that someone thought this was Murakami distilled. I can see what they mean. Compared to the other Murakamis I’ve read, this was pretty short. I read it over a couple of days, mostly on the tube or the bus. I don’t know why, but that felt strangely appropriate, too.

If I were a professional reviewer or writing an essay, I would probably say things like “Mari is an unlikely heroine” or “she is the antithesis of a protagonist”. Mari herself is aware of this. It is her sister, Eri, who would be the natural choice for a spotlight. All of that is true — but I don’t write my reviews like that, and to be honest, the frequency those go-to phrases are used in reviews in the paper is one of the biggest reasons that I prefer blog reviews (by good reviewers, of course, but one with colourful personal commentary). 

The book follows Mari for a night, as she sits barely sipping her coffee in a Denny’s, just waiting for time to pass. Takahashi, a student who loves to play jazz, walks in for a quick meal and recognizes her because he knows her sister, Eri, who is a model. The premise isn’t complicated, although in true Murakami style, the book does go into a bit of a reverie when describing what’s happening with Eri, who is in an “unnatural sleep”. 

The events of the book don’t need to be divulged. It’s such a short book that once you read it, you’ll find out soon enough. It is a beautiful book, with plenty of gorgeous pull-out quotes and ideas. I’m just never disappointed by him, and every book of his I read I remember why he’s the author I’ve read the most over the past year.