Books of the Month

'After Dark' by Haruki Murakami

If you're already a fan of Haruki Murakami's offbeat, slightly surreal stories, this won't disappoint. And if you've yet to venture into his world, After Dark serves as a perfectly distilled introduction in easily digestible size.

All the hallmarks of Murakami's fiction are here: an enigmatic young Japanese protagonist, a pair of siblings, some jazz, some seedy nightlife, and a bizarre alternative reality, accessed through a strange portal. The story takes place in the course of a single evening: chain-smoking student Mari, sitting alone and reading one night in a diner, meets Takahashi, a jazz-playing friend of her sister's, and they fall into conversation. Later, she's called on to translate following a violent incident in a nearby love hotel, where a Chinese prostitute has been badly beaten, apparently by a mild-mannered computer operative. Mari strikes up a friendship with the manager of the hotel (a tough female ex-wrestler), and senses a bond with the injured Chinese girl. As the night progresses, we learn more about Mari's sister, the stunning model Eri, and why while Mari stays up all night, it seems Eri has become a real life sleeping beauty.

The narrative switches to follow different characters, and changes focus from clear-eyed third person to surreally free-floating observer. Connections and parallels are hinted at but never spelled out. Constant throughout is the ticking of the clock. The deeper we get into the night, the more we sense anything is possible...

Susan Tranter

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