Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - After Dark

Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

35 reviews

cpreeta6's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

Okay, I am now starting to realize why people say that Murakami is at his best in short books. This book was all about the atmosphere. The fact that the whole book takes place over the course of one night, "after dark" was a clever idea. You could never tell where the surreal and the mundane overlapped. The book makes you think, and question what you read. The conversations are philosophical at times, but hell, who isn't a bit philosophical in the middle of the night?

That out one thing towards the end gave me the ick - it was totally unnecessary, and most people who have read the book would agree. Otherwise, I really liked it, and it was a solid read. It was unlike, yet completely like him to write a book like this one. I am always surprised at the difference between his books and their themes. It completely follows his writing style, but the story? It almost feels like the same person could not have thought of After Dark and say, Killing Commandatore, my favorite among all his books.

The prose was beautiful, and the use of present tense throughout the book made me feel the time ticking away. Also, as the book is a short one, I finished it in one sitting, which augmented that feeling. The reference to the reader as a camera was a bit unnerving, and did break the trance the book put me in at times.
Overall, I believe it takes a spot in the top books I have read by Murakami.

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em_the_cat's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

“Breasts, breasts, breasts!” Shut up Murakami you’re ruining your own book

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sas_lk's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"You know what I think? That people's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive."

This was a love letter to the night. This touched a specific place in my heart that I have rarely truly shared with others. This was a story about love, about sisterly love, and simply about life. About the peace one can find in the darker hours when everything feels like it's crashing down.

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rosie_valadez's review against another edition

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2.0

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persian_green's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

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jessi_c's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoy how the narration breaks the fourth wall, inviting us to float around the city. Had just the right touch of intrusiveness.

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mewpasaurus's review against another edition

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mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Haruki Murakami has this way of writing his books in which you know the ending will probably either be a non-ending or somehow unsatisfactory, but yet we, as readers, are okay with that. After Dark is no different; the characters are neither protagonists or antagonists, they merely exist in a world that swirls around them and continues whether they do or don't participate. His books are interesting in that way; the characters are just dressing to the atmosphere or story he's trying to convey, not particularly main characters.

After Dark really focuses on the passage of time and how the city the characters move and operate during the quiet hours of deep night/early morning. There are good, bad and neutral aspects just as there are good, bad and neutral people that operate in that time span. None of their stories have resolution and they aren't supposed to. After all, it's only the passage of one night in a very busy city.

Overall, I found this enjoyable and enigmatic. It's one of the things I've always enjoyed about Murakami's work.

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