A review by mbahnaf
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
2.0
“In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It's important to combine the two in just the right amount.”
I usually tend to like Murakami's writing, so writing a two-star review feels strange. After Dark chronicles the events of one fateful night in Tokyo, exploring the night-life in the quiet shady areas of the city. The writing has the usual Murakami surrealistic imagery and there is a strange eerie suspense maintained throughout. Unfortunately, that is about all the credit you can give this book, for the writing and the subsequent scenes appear shallow and full of tropes. We have the "abused sex-worker", "hooker with a heart of gold" and the most over-used "woman running from her past". At this point, the book starts sounding like a regular Hollywood indie flick (Leaving Las Vegas, anyone?).
That said, the book is a breezy read, relatively short in length and full of Murakami-esque quietisms. I didn't really like it. However, it isn't a criminally bad book. Just not my type.
Notable references
The book makes multiple references to pop-culture of the past. Alphaville, Blade Runner and Love Story are among some of the films mentioned in the book. The story also has the usual classic Murakami soundtrack. The novel gets its name from Curtis Fuller's Five Spot After Dark from the Blues-ette album. Some other notable tracks mentioned in the book:
[ Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chq885RKXAI
[ Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8
[ Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LLfFY9pQg
I usually tend to like Murakami's writing, so writing a two-star review feels strange. After Dark chronicles the events of one fateful night in Tokyo, exploring the night-life in the quiet shady areas of the city. The writing has the usual Murakami surrealistic imagery and there is a strange eerie suspense maintained throughout. Unfortunately, that is about all the credit you can give this book, for the writing and the subsequent scenes appear shallow and full of tropes. We have the "abused sex-worker", "hooker with a heart of gold" and the most over-used "woman running from her past". At this point, the book starts sounding like a regular Hollywood indie flick (Leaving Las Vegas, anyone?).
That said, the book is a breezy read, relatively short in length and full of Murakami-esque quietisms. I didn't really like it. However, it isn't a criminally bad book. Just not my type.
Notable references
The book makes multiple references to pop-culture of the past. Alphaville, Blade Runner and Love Story are among some of the films mentioned in the book. The story also has the usual classic Murakami soundtrack. The novel gets its name from Curtis Fuller's Five Spot After Dark from the Blues-ette album. Some other notable tracks mentioned in the book:
[ Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chq885RKXAI
[ Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8
[ Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LLfFY9pQg