After Dark

I found After Dark to be fascinating with a huge amount of detailed subtextual issues. The descriptions were detailed and there\’s also a mystery too of sorts (though we\’re let in on some of the details. Very psychological. And Murakami leaves the reader to work out for themselves some of the more pivotal things like Mari\’s not being able to sleep and Eri Asai only sleeping. And whether or not you think the mystery is resolved. However the narrator sounds like a computer in Star Trek. While I was able to get past it to hear the book, and while her Japanese is excellent and I learned a lot about pronunciation of the names (\”r\” is like a soft \”d\”), her affect in English is very flat. Listen to the sample first to see if you can get past it.

This short Murakami novel, which emphasizes eerie atmosphere over plot and character, isn\’t as engaging as, say, Kafka on the Shore. Sleep is a major theme here, and I did find myself dozing off at times. Still, there are some evocative scenes, and the narration fits the mood. Murakami fans won\’t want to skip this, but those new to the Japanese postmodernist may want to start elsewhere.

I\’m a Haruki fan, enjoyed this because of the usual juxtaposition of the ordinary and the surreal, the wonderful use of language. BUT just when I felt that I was getting to know and love the characters, the book ended. It needs a sequel.

Haruki Murakami definitely has a unique voice and way with words that forces you to think about what you\’re reading. He is also extremely skilled in painting a vivid image and forcing the reader to live in and observe it. That being said, this is the kind of book that can\’t be interrupted or listened to halfheartedly. I only gave it four stars for now because I need to go back again and ingest this book more mindfully. I think I missed the arching metaphor that highlights what the book is /really/ about because there were times when I couldn\’t be as invested in it as I would\’ve liked to be. After that, I\’ll most likely adjust my rating. The narration is smooth and effective. I found Janet Song\’s voice to be compatible with Haruki Murakami\’s writing.

I love Murikami anyway and was in the mood for one of his quirky stories and this satisfied perfectly. I love how his mystical elements are never explained but make sense in terms of the story. The reader was great! Listened straight through in just a couple of days.

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