After Dark

After Dark by Haruki Murakami⁣
Guest review from @soloshaz
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Stylish and enigmatic, Murakami’s 'After Dark' took me on a tour of Tokyo’s eclectic and vibrant nightlife. I was forced to delve into the lives of an array of seemingly inconspicuous characters within the eastern metropolis, during the deepest hours of the night. However, everything is never what it seems.⁣
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We follow Mari, an awkward nineteen-year-old who has chosen to spend the night in the dark unknown, away from her troubling life at home. The narrative switches to a range of locations, exposing us to the points of view of striving musicians, sinister Salary-men, ex-wrestlers, and many others. Each page exudes intricate details of Mari’s surroundings that carefully weave together a masterpiece. The essence of the supernatural loom over the city as shady transactions seem to occur at every corner once the majority are tucked into their comfortable homes.⁣
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Night-time Tokyo is captured through the lens of a camera that gazes on the identity of Mari and others with who she comes into contact. Themes of violence, mental illness, prostitution, business, and the daily life of the Japanese are combined brilliantly as this book delivers something for all types of readers. ⁣
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Whether I found myself at a dimly lit Denny’s or the backstreets of a Love Hotel, 'After Dark' delivered a fantastical yet authentic version of Japan. Those who have traveled there will know this to be true and to those who haven’t, you’ll be intrinsically urged to add it to your bucket list. A must-read!⁣