After Dark by Haruki Murakami (2007, Hardcover)

I have bought all the Murakami books available in English. This book is the latest addition to my collection. So you might say that I am a Murakami fan.
My favorites out of his 12 books that have been translated into English are "Kafka on the Shore" (the only book I have read 3 times in a row) and "Norwegian Wood". My least favorite so far has been "South of the Border, West of the Sun". Generally speaking, I prefer novels by Murakami to his short stories, despite the author's preference for the latter. Personally, I find his novels much more satisfying. I add this information to give you some clues as to how I would respond to this new book "After Dark".

From inside front cover:
"A short, sleek novel of encounters set in Tokyo during the witching hours between midnight and dawn, ...
At its center are two sisters -- Eri, a fashion model slumbering her way into oblivion, and Mari, a young student soon led from solitary reading at an anonymous Denny's toward people whose lives are radically alien to her own: a jazz trombonist who claims they've met before, a burly female "love hotel" manager and her maid staff, and a Chinese prostitute savagely brutalized by a businessman. These "night people" are haunted by secrets and needs that draw them together more powerfully than the differing circumstances that might keep them apart, and it soon becomes clear that Eri's slumber -- mysteriously tied to the businessman plagued by the mark of his crime -- will either restore or annihilate her."

I give this book somewhere between 3.5 to 4 out of 5. It is certainly enjoyable for readers who have read other Murakami novels and know what to expect (e.g. his seamless transition from reality to surreal/supernatural). Some readers may feel that it is too short and leaves too many things unanswered. This can certainly be a charm for many readers, who prefer stories to be not too "finished", with the door(s) still open for many possible outcomes and interpretations. It is a short read. The book has only 191 pages and the margins on the outside and bottom of the page are rather large.

I liked the story, even though this book won't make it to my list of favorites by Murakami. The story-telling is well done in a classic Murakami way. But it never gets to the intensity found in his other novels such as "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" or "Kafka on the Shore". It is still a good, entertaining read which will have you asking some questions -- metaphysical, spiritual, philosophical, etc.

My only disappointment was that this novel was short. I often find myself quite attached to several of the characters in his books, but no such "bonding" with this book. In fact, it felt like something between a short story and a novel. The ending is quietly optimistic ... that is often how we feel in the morning after a long night. I intend to start this book over for the second read.