A Single Human being, no matter what kind of person he or she may be, is all caught up in the tenetacles of this animal like a giant octopus, and is getting sucked into darkness. You can put any kind of spin on it you like, but you end up with the same unbearable spectacle.

After Dark, Haruki Murakami

This one I’m afraid is going to be short and quick as strangely, I didn’t enjoy it as I did his other work Norweigan Wood.

After Dark is a study of humanity with a hint of magical realism sprinkled in that’s presented in an… almost unnecessary way.

This was a beautiful study of a troubled teen who needed to be reminded to be brave and that even though she is distant from her family, she can still always come home. It starts in the late hours of Tokyo when anyone out is either working late for a job or looking to get into trouble. The main pov — though it does split in different directions — is Mari, a nineteen-year-old woman who is choosing to spend the night away from home. She can’t handle being there currently and it is not revealed why until later. I’ll keep it brief and spoiler-free as this is a big part of Mari’s plotline. Her quiet night is interrupted by a man named Takahashi who claimed he knows her and her sister. They end up having a conversation that starts Mari down an interesting night. She meets a love hotel manager, a prostitute, and a mobster all in a single night. Throughout it all she is questioning herself, doubting, and hiding what’s truly wrong.

I really enjoyed the fact that all of the loose ends weren’t wrapped up because why would it all resolve in one night? But if you’re looking for things to be in a nice and neat bow, you will definitely be disappointed.

You have to take everything as it settles and move on into the morning just like Mari did.

The daisy-chain narrative is usually one I enjoy a lot, but with this, it almost felt a little too fast to the point where it didn’t have that satisfying end to the slow burn of it all. While I’m sure that was the point, I think a little more time could’ve been taken with Mari and her encounters as well as having the loose threads expanded on a bit more. As I said, too much too fast. It felt like He was somehow both in a rush and not with this book and it made the pacing a bit disjointed. I ended up giving it 3.5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but these things made it hard for me to give it any higher.

I do recommend giving it a try to see if you see something in it I didn’t.

I can’t wait to dive into another of his books though. It’s only a matter of time before I do! Thanks guys!

-Stay Well-Read-

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