Reviews with content warning for Trafficking - After Dark

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After Dark by Haruki Murakami

22 reviews

stavoosh's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Okay, so I picked this up knowing absolutely nothing about it except that Murakami's work is highly regarded. Maybe that is why it felt boring to me (perhaps my imagination is just a bit over-the-top). It's a short read, yet I felt bored for most of it the characters are just sitting and talking. This, however, made way for lots of philosophical ideas to arise in the ordinariness and rawness of a life in the city. The book discusses difficult subject matter in a simplified matter and investigates existential questions that we all have. I enjoyed the way I had to digest every word, but I would've liked a bit more action. I would've loved if the surrealism was more intwined in the story besides the one character. I think it was a good introduction to his work and I look forward to another read.

Basically, after finishing the book and actually reading the summary, I feel like the book sounds extremely interesting rather than the quite interesting it is.

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flowerssss's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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ashleyend's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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elisabeth_with_an_ess's review against another edition

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dark hopeful mysterious reflective fast-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

This is a very strange read, teetering just on the edge of total realism, and with no real explanation of the bizarre incidents. But it's an enjoyable story, in spite of (or perhaps because of) this. I enjoyed the tone, and the main characters were all likeable.

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carolinethilde's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Intimate, soft, and touching, Haruki Murakami’s After Dark is an exploration of vulnerability. What tender, shameful things happen in the dark of the night when everything else is quiet? Who do we become? When we think no one else is watching, Murakami is.

This novel traces the night of a young girl, her older sister, a trombone player, a prostitute, her abuser, and a hotel manager. This book examines them all without judgement and what we receive is a beautiful story of a young girl afraid of opening up to the world, only for it to open itself up to her.

It is a novel beautifully and uniquely written. It is not elaborate. It isn’t long. After Dark is a breathing creature that is rare and requires studying or a strong relatability or its delicate sensibilities will be lost on the reader, but look where Murakami’s camera points and look closely. All will be revealed.

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