Title: After Dark
Author: Haruki Murakami
Tags: #shinjuku #tokyo #lovehotel
Discovered: Working through the Murakami back catalogue
Where read: (in part) drinking tea in Canterbury town centre
The Word's Shortlist view:
So where to go after Murakami's classic A Wild Sheep Chase? Regular readers of this humble blog will recognise my Murakami obsession which this month is being sated by his 2004 novella (yes this one is a mere 200 pages long!) After Dark.
After Dark is a slight departure for Murakami in so much that the story is written in the third person and is more a destination piece that a character driven story. Some might be put off by the lack of a clear plot here but the real star of the story is Shinjuku - Tokyo's most idiosyncratic district of neon, hostess bars, pachinko and karaoke.
The story takes place during one single night in Shinjuku with a range of nocturnal characters, including Mari and her sister Eri, whose lives criss cross with others like the Tokyo Metro. Much of the story is centred around the Alphaville love hotel - anyone intrigued about what makes a hotel in Japan a 'love hotel' should read this book simply to find out!
The third person narrative, and use of screen-play style camera direction, is voyeuristic. As reader you are transported to this evocative setting and allowed to dip in and out of various scenarios without immersing yourself completely. The story effortlessly captures the atmosphere of staying awake all night, perhaps in any city, but especially in the neon fuzz of Tokyo.
Why read After Dark? A great introduction to Murakami (indeed to Japanese fiction) and a sensational slice of Shinjuku nightlife. Feeling inspired? Try Ryu Murakami's In the Miso Soup. Next for me more Murakami with South of the Border, West of the Sun.
Follow this link for an amazing animated short Shinjuku Nights from Twistory Studios https://youtu.be/KtCKATWLOgc
After Dark is a slight departure for Murakami in so much that the story is written in the third person and is more a destination piece that a character driven story. Some might be put off by the lack of a clear plot here but the real star of the story is Shinjuku - Tokyo's most idiosyncratic district of neon, hostess bars, pachinko and karaoke.
The story takes place during one single night in Shinjuku with a range of nocturnal characters, including Mari and her sister Eri, whose lives criss cross with others like the Tokyo Metro. Much of the story is centred around the Alphaville love hotel - anyone intrigued about what makes a hotel in Japan a 'love hotel' should read this book simply to find out!
The third person narrative, and use of screen-play style camera direction, is voyeuristic. As reader you are transported to this evocative setting and allowed to dip in and out of various scenarios without immersing yourself completely. The story effortlessly captures the atmosphere of staying awake all night, perhaps in any city, but especially in the neon fuzz of Tokyo.
Why read After Dark? A great introduction to Murakami (indeed to Japanese fiction) and a sensational slice of Shinjuku nightlife. Feeling inspired? Try Ryu Murakami's In the Miso Soup. Next for me more Murakami with South of the Border, West of the Sun.
Follow this link for an amazing animated short Shinjuku Nights from Twistory Studios https://youtu.be/KtCKATWLOgc
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