Murakami's After Dark

I recently finished reading Murakami's After Dark. It is, like the critics say, a "dark, hushed ensemble piece", where we get to see a young woman named Mari adapting herself in the spooky hours of the night. What's keeping her awake remains a mystery, but according to the story, it is her sister, Eri, who is keeping her from sleeping  (I don't wanna give too much away, so that's all I'm gonna say for now).The entire story takes place at night, and each chapter represents the time.

Unlike most of Murakami's other works, this story is settled, and not much drama or suspense really happens. There's a flow to it once you start reading it, and mysteries will remain in the end. There are about three separate stories but they all connect with each other. A classic Murakami. If I were to say the first three words to describe the story, it'd be sleep, bed, and dark.

An interesting quote from the book,


"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."