After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Cover version Vintage-books

After Dark

Author : Haruki Murakami
First published in 2004
Origin : Japan


I found this book on my way to boarding, and can't help to pick it because of its size and thickness.

Initially, I expect I can finish this book on 2-hours flight, but the fact is, I dozed off and wake up without open any single page at all.

Well, I guess  this is 7th of Murakami's book that I've been read in one year. Yes, I am in marathon of Murakami's artwork and hopefully by the next year I will finish all of his books, fiction-non fiction including the newest one that published this year in japanese and next year in english.

After Dark, like I said before there is nothing metaphor on Murakami's title. After dark is centered on stories where the sun goes down, leaving only darkness and let the light dancing over the night.

The story started with a-19 years old girl whom decided to spent her all night alone outside of her home. She is staying on Dennys, a franchise restaurant and reading a book to killing time. Her name is Mari. Suddenly, a man come in and decide to join her. That man, Takahashi claimed that he know Mari, and they once ever hung out in the past, accompaniying Mari's sister, Eri and her boyfriend.

In different chapter the story telling about Mari's older sister, Eri whom fall in a very deep sleep in her room and seems someone is watching her. The point of view is told by second person, which happen to observe Eri from afar.

The novel is take set only one day, begin in 12.00 am and finished on 07.00 am when the dark is vanished, subsided with the gold ray of the sun. During that time, everything could happen, especially a gigantic city like Tokyo.

a lonely girl who want to spend her night alone, only to discover a new point of view of her life, met with 21 years old boy-whom happen to be her sister fan. They make conversation, and then the boy left for music practice. The boy itself also in the phase of soul-searching. That night is his last night for playing music, he decide to do other thing that made him more useful as human.

And when the dark getting thicker, Mari met with Kaoru, a manager of love hotel which located near to Takahashi's place to practice music. Kaoru asking for help due to the unusual circumstances in his Love hotel. A 19 years-old chinese prostitute is beaten up with her date, and abandoned naked. The suspect is ordinary man, working and having a family. Another grab of a metropolitan citizens.

"The ordinary-looking ones are the most dangerous," says Kaoru, rubbing her chin. "They carry arround a shitload of stress." 

Later, Mari meet with any other person whom also still in the battle with life in order to survive.

In my opinion, I like after dark even better than a wild sheep chase. The genre is almost same, if you like impresionist-writing blend with modern-theme, you will love After dark. Don't expect too much about the plot or a concrete ending, I don't say it cliff hunger, but you really need to think more by reading this book. If you are a passive reading, I don't recommend it.

How Murakami describe narratively yet without make people boring, always amazed me. I guess he is typically person whom contemplate all the time. The writing is deep and meaningful. Just like this one:

"Sometimes I feel as if I'm racing with my own shadow," Koorogi says, " But that's one thing I'll never be able to outrun. Nobody can shake off their own shadow," 

You may also love any other Murakami's book:
Kafka on Shore
1Q84
Norwegian Wood
Hear The Wind Sing (1st book of trilogy of the Rat)
Pinball,1973 (2nd book of trilogy of the Rat)
A Wild Sheep chase (3rd book of trilogy of The Rat)