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mkdila's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Such a whimsical, mysterious story about just life and the different types of lives that every person lives. I really liked the main character Mari, i thought she was a relatable 19 year old with self-esteem issues that I found somewhat relatable.
The narrator and magical realism aspects of this book were very intriguing and ambiguous which i really enjoy.
The narrator and magical realism aspects of this book were very intriguing and ambiguous which i really enjoy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Trafficking
sillycreature's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, and Death of parent
rosie_valadez's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Trafficking and Death of parent
persian_green's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, and Trafficking
mewpasaurus's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Trafficking
gilmargirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Death of parent
jainabee's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Murakami messing with my mind again. A mystery that isn't a mystery. No clues to unravel, no startling conclusions. He'll bring the reader to a moment that seems momentous, and then slyly let it be mundane. And just to be absolutely clear about that, he'll address what you might think he's getting at and tell you point blank that's not what it is. Or you'll think you see a big plot twist and he'll say, nope, it's really what it appears to be. Somehow he fills this stark series of short chapters with lush cinematic details, complete with a playlist of tunes playing in the background of each scene. Or intense silence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence, Grief, and Stalking
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Classism
koberreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I read this book twice. This is my secone time. My First read felt calm and reflective and might even annoyed the mysteries or magical realism of Murakami’s stories are yet again, surprise surprise, unanswered or simply stayed a mystery. A calm moderately dark novel that you can finish reading in 3 hr flight and after reading it, you would mostly like satisfied you read it rather than just buying on flight wifi and browisng social media again as if you cant do that on the ground or played your nitendo switch.
I read it again the 2nd time because I want something that would make me feel reflective about life especially regarding our dark side and how we all have such dark side but our darksidw is mixed with our more kinder tendicies so no one in real life is purely/mostly good or purely/most evil. We are in the middle, the gray area. We should just know how to manage it
Also read it because it is one of Murakamis writing that I can tolerate compared to his other books that are too sexual or has incest in it. Damn I know Murakmi and the writer of game of thrones like too much Sigmund Freud writings but come on.. no need to expound or put that in every book or explained in so much gross detail. Glad this one is not like that. No graphic sex here even if the setting is partly in a love hotel hahhahahah compared to other Murkamis books where the characters are not even near such a hotel but act like they are filming for “p*rnhub” hahahaha. I am okay with sex. Just dont like it if Murakami either makes it too graphic (rather watch porn than read porn if that happens) or makes it about incest again or both. Be glad that “After Dark” short novel is nothing like that
Read it if you want to know about the darkside of Human Nature and just be prepared to indulge in mysterious magical realism of Murakami that he will never explain to you. He always leaves it to you to interpret such things
I read it again the 2nd time because I want something that would make me feel reflective about life especially regarding our dark side and how we all have such dark side but our darksidw is mixed with our more kinder tendicies so no one in real life is purely/mostly good or purely/most evil. We are in the middle, the gray area. We should just know how to manage it
Also read it because it is one of Murakamis writing that I can tolerate compared to his other books that are too sexual or has incest in it. Damn I know Murakmi and the writer of game of thrones like too much Sigmund Freud writings but come on.. no need to expound or put that in every book or explained in so much gross detail. Glad this one is not like that. No graphic sex here even if the setting is partly in a love hotel hahhahahah compared to other Murkamis books where the characters are not even near such a hotel but act like they are filming for “p*rnhub” hahahaha. I am okay with sex. Just dont like it if Murakami either makes it too graphic (rather watch porn than read porn if that happens) or makes it about incest again or both. Be glad that “After Dark” short novel is nothing like that
Read it if you want to know about the darkside of Human Nature and just be prepared to indulge in mysterious magical realism of Murakami that he will never explain to you. He always leaves it to you to interpret such things
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Trafficking, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Violence
rosesforreading's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Blood
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Death of parent
lupolucas's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Deportation