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A review by justinlife
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
5.0
This short novel was a joy to read. I loved everything about it. Murakami succeeds it creating beautiful scenes and an atmosphere that is memorable. This is a book that I would love to read again and will probably read multiple times.
The novel takes place over one night and follows a couple of characters as they make their way through. Murakami allows his characters tell their stories. He does not offer much back story other than their words, save for two characters that have no interaction. Even then, he's sparce with the details. This works for the setting and the for the general tone of the book.
What I loved about his writing is how well be blends the metaphysical, the fantastical, and the normal. All of these meld in the characters world without them realizing it. It is a treat for the reader. One of the other techniques that he used as a narrator was, in certain chapters, with certain characters, he uses "We" as the narrator, recognizing the reader's role in this book. This reminded me of Carlos Feuntes' "Aura". The technique was fascinating and it worked for me.
When I was reading this, I felt like Murakami wrote this book like was framing a movie. Everything felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. It was a most pleasant experience.
I'm sure some of Murakami's devoted fans might not like this as much because of its brevity, but this worked for me greatly. I want to know more about these characters. I want to see them again and enjoy their lives. It would be lovely if he revisited these characters.
The novel takes place over one night and follows a couple of characters as they make their way through. Murakami allows his characters tell their stories. He does not offer much back story other than their words, save for two characters that have no interaction. Even then, he's sparce with the details. This works for the setting and the for the general tone of the book.
What I loved about his writing is how well be blends the metaphysical, the fantastical, and the normal. All of these meld in the characters world without them realizing it. It is a treat for the reader. One of the other techniques that he used as a narrator was, in certain chapters, with certain characters, he uses "We" as the narrator, recognizing the reader's role in this book. This reminded me of Carlos Feuntes' "Aura". The technique was fascinating and it worked for me.
When I was reading this, I felt like Murakami wrote this book like was framing a movie. Everything felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. It was a most pleasant experience.
I'm sure some of Murakami's devoted fans might not like this as much because of its brevity, but this worked for me greatly. I want to know more about these characters. I want to see them again and enjoy their lives. It would be lovely if he revisited these characters.