Book Review: After Dark by Haruki Murakami
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- I loved this book so much! If you want to read it and at the same time, support this channel, you can purchase it using my affiliate link: amzn.to/3WFAVME
I have been reading Murakami for a long time and despite not loving some of his work as much as others, I can't deny that I have a deep sense of nostalgia for his works. Hope you enjoyed the review!
If you have any similar recommendations, please leave them down below!
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I'm Japanese, but I'm really glad to hear that a lot of people who have never come to Japan feel nostalgic and imagine Japan of a little while ago.
I guess there might be some nostalgia for me for Asia in general. Also if you’re born in the late 80’s or 90’s - most of our lives are filled with Japanese miracles - Pokémon, video games, Walkmans, anime, hello kitty and everything else. Also when I watch anything my Miyazaki, I get the same feeling.
Ohhh! I didn’t think about After Dark being about people post dark events… What a great way to look at it!
I just reread this book and probably the only Murakami I have reread and I think I definitely agree with you when you say his writing is very nostalgic. And as for After dark, I think this book is a depiction of the concept of yin and yang or goodness in evil and evil in goodness. The grey area that exists which is beyond pure evil and goodness. And After Dark is indeed pointing out how everything seems different in that dark phase and we all have to go through that darkness and it does change us but what happens after may differ. He has also referred to this in Kafka on the shore too when he talks about some events in life being like a hurricane and how when we come out of hurricane we are never the same and that's the point of a hurricane. What you also said about not judging people by their first impression is definitely a lesson I took away from this book too because in life nothing is exactly black and white but more in the shades of grey.
I just finished the book and came across this video. I totally agree about the writing feeling like its exploring how people cope and react after dark moments in life! I especially loved how descriptive every place was, truly felt like I was viewing the rooms, buildings, city and spaces throughout. The quote you picked about the deepest darkness not being able to penetrate was so well explained, it gave me a completely new perspective. Loved this video!
I read "Kafka on the Shore" back when I was 17 or 18 and I didn't get it. Now I started reading again Murakami and chose "After Dark". This book is very easy to read for me as a person, who is just learning English, and as a fan of Kar-Wai movies, it strangely resembles "Fallen Angels" movie vibe for me.
AHHHH i agree!!!!
It's such a beautiful book which very few people talk about. It just do total justice to its title AFTER DARK
Agree!
That’s the first Murakami book that I’ve read that you’ve recommended! Absolutely love it 😍
It's so good! Still vivid in my mind :)
I recently finished reading this book, and I truly loved it.
Your review was accurate and I agree with you on many levels, especially about feeling nostalgic about Tokyo Japan although I've never been in Japan before.
I believe this comes from Murakami's strong and deep connection with the Japanese culture, too.
Thanks for your video! ❤
Glad you enjoyed it! Let me know if you have any similar recommendations for me too!
I just finished reading that book . I came here to see how did people react on it
I really appreciate your review , thank u
Awww so glad! Did you enjoy it?
I finished the book and landed straight on this video. I have drawn few assumptions below. Happy to brainstorm or get murakamied 🤪
Firstly great video 🙌🏻I didn't realise until you mentioned it that "After Dark" could be a story about things that happen after a dark phase in life. Which also sounds convincing since all characters have a pretty eerie storylines.
While I could understand some parts of the story, there were some details that were difficult for me to grasp.
For example, the pencil with the tech company's name appears in two different scenarios at the same time, and I still can't understand how that happens.
However, it seems that sleep is a significant theme in the book. Each character has their own sleeping patterns based on how they perceive themselves. Eri, who is portrayed as the least self-aware character, has the deepest sleep. Mari and Korogi - the hotel manager have relatively short sleep times. Takahashi and Shirakawa are unable to sleep.
Interestingly, after everyone wakes up from sleep, they find find a deeper sense. For example, Korogi quickly resolves the situation with the Chinese prostitute. When Mari wakes up, she discovers a memory that connects her deeply with Eri. Following that scene, Eri swaps back to her original room from the screen when Mari has that dream.
In "After Dark," mirrors have a unique significance, especially when considering it from Murakami's perspective. There are scenes where characters experience a different level of depth with mirrors.
For example, in one scene, Shirakawa, the IT guy, is preparing to leave and exits the bathroom, but his reflection remains in the mirror. Similarly, Mari, in another scene, freshens up in the bathroom, but her reflection lingers in the mirror even after she leaves.
In both situations, something changes within the person while their reflection is still present in the mirror.
Also I feel there’s a connection between Eri stuck in the TV and her storyline.In one of the scenes Mari explains that Eri was so beautiful that she would feature in TV ads and some shows, but she was never happy with the glamour. However in the story as well, Eri is stuck in the TV and is totally depressed.
Really glad you enjoyed the review. What I love is how much he leaves to interpretation and then we end up with brain dumps like this! Which Murakami book are you picking next? I would highly recommend DANCE DANCE DANCE
i read the book and honestly i didnt understand themetaphores rationally, but when i went to sleep and ghe actual words slowly washed away i was left with a feeling of pure optimism, like a little warm sun inside of me. Like what you feel after breaking up with someone you love and being depressed for a mong time when you finally start to feel a little better. k feltthat what you said about "knowing how people are after dark" is very similar to what i felt, sothank you for this vid
this video is amazing... perspective on point and enlightening. ❤
This is such a lovely and insightful review!
Thanks so much Lara.... have you read the book yet?
i know this video is old, but i just read this as my intro to murakami. i absolutely loved it. the writing style was so interesting.
and i agree, after dark is a direct reference to nightlife, but is also definitely a metaphor for life after darkness, depression, hardship. i loved the description of eri's deep sleep and her trying to escape as well as the descriptions of maris sleep and not feeling quite herself when she woke up. i really liked takahashi as a character too. i feel like the cellphone in the grocery store is also the feeling that your past is trying to pull you back in.
i found it overall quite wholesome and a very good intro.
i also love you talking about feeling nostalgia for old japan. just thinking about sitting in a dennys reading with a cigarette in hand is very nostalgic lol
i am moroccan , i felt very magical to read this book , thanks for your book review
Glad you liked it!
Great review! Enjoyed listening to you. Would love to know your interpretation about ending. It seemed bit open ended to me.
Take a shot every time I say LIKE 😥😪🤣🤣🤣 I can feel my nervousness through the screen. Don’t worry give me a week and I’ll be into it again 🤣
Have you read Murakami? Which ones your favourite 🤩
Huge fan of Murakami. Out of the books I read Sputnik Sweetheart and the wind-up chronicle are my favourites till now love the characters in both the books and I can’t wait to read After Dark now 😊
I might just listen to an audiobook on this… the pacing of this isn’t really my preference nor my style, although i’m intrigued to know what happens at the end. I can appreciate the dialogue and vivid imagery of this novel tho
worth giving that a try. Although I must say, I've tried a few Murakami novels as audiobooks and it did not have the same impact. I am a big advocate for audiobooks but these somehow felt a little brand. Worth giving it a try though! You might have a different experience.
Great review 👏
❤️❤️ missed you
You just got a new subscriber
Murakami was my teachers name!1!1!
Hi
Have you read Hard Boiled Wonderland?
Yes! I actually have a review on that too. What’s your favourite Murakami book….if you have one?
@@Shreyalahkar Hard Boiled is actually my favorite. I guess I didn't see that one on your channel. I'll look for it. I was asking cause I was going to reach out to see if you wanted to talk about it on my top 210 scifi video..can I reach out?
I started reading it and I didn’t liked it so I stopped. I think I might try again once a friend whom I borrowed the book returns it to me. I did liked the way it was written tho.
you so pretty