Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - After Dark

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

28 reviews

anastas7a's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I read this book back in July. I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it. It was my first time reading Murakami. From an early point on, I realized that we are not confined by the limits of the real and literal world, so I went with the flow.
I enjoyed the atmosphere the author created for this book and I found its title creative, given that everything- from the events to the exploration of the characters' personalities- takes place after dark. (This may be obvious to some people, but for me it was a fun, unexpected, little detail, especially because I normally start books blind {without having read summaries}).
I find myself at a loss of words to say because the book remains a mystery to me. I can understand a handful of the analogies, however

the one I struggle with is sleep. I haven't figured out what it symbolizes or how through it Eri or even Mari discover part of themselves. Related to the sleep analogy is also the TV in Eri's room, which I did not exactly comprehend.

.
I also like how even though nothing happens and the sun rises the next day as if nothing has happened, each event that took place had an impact on the introduced characters one way or the other.

Specifically with Mari and Takahashi, I found their interaction genuine and crucial for Mari to take a step back and self-reflect on her idea of who she is. To this cause contributed her adventure at the love hotel and her interaction with people she normally wouldn't have met.

If I had a better understanding of the story I would rate it higher, but it continues to be a struggle for me. I would love to talk about it with someone so that we can share thoughts and I can gain some insight.
I appreciated greatly the songs the book mentions, not only because I'm a melomaniac, but also because they helped me immerse myself in the story.
Lastly, the book's fast pace outweighed the complexity of the concept it was dealing with and as a result, the story wasn't burdensome to the readers.
I recommend reading this when you want something to ponder over. Maybe I'll revisit it at one point.

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rosie_valadez's review against another edition

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2.0

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cmcquaid24's review against another edition

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5.0

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meutism's review against another edition

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

5.0

murakami's way of making one night stretch to feel like thousands of years is incredible. the intense vernacular that the translator was able to convey is equally as impressive. wonderful read.

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nathanog123's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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jenniiireads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

This was my first murakami book and I think it gave a strong impression of his writing and story-telling style. It was interesting in how it laced in the supernatural and took place over one night. It was an interesting read, I personally enjoyed it.

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sumisreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

My first Murakami read and I can see why he's so beloved in the literature world. Was an interesting plot with several events happening within a single night but at times it got rather abstract and even philosophical. So I was a bit confused sometimes. Yeah I'd say it was decent :)

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