Book Review- After Dark by Haruki Murakami

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This is my first Murakami read of 2026. And true to his usual writing style, this book also carries his signature sense of the odd, the unexplained, and the unresolved.

So, this book is a one-night saga on what happened in Tokyo after the sun had set!

Nineteen-year-old Mari Asai was sitting alone in a corner of a famous café when a stranger—well, not entirely a stranger—approached her and struck up a conversation. The stranger, Takahashi Tetsuya, insists that he knows her older sister, Eri, thus setting Mari on an odyssey through the sleeping city. At first, Mari ignored him, just as she was oblivious to everyone who passed by her. But her icy reception didn’t daunt Takahashi’s adamantine resolve, and eventually Mari began answering his questions. What began as an awkward conversation between two seemingly unrelated strangers turned into a wonderful night of adventure, music, and revelations.

“After Dark” is generally a light read. It delves into a person’s thoughts and emotions in response to their present circumstances. Through its main characters, the novel explores different perspectives and reflects on how each character copes with the situations they face.

Murakami turned a single night in Tokyo into something strangely dreamlike and unsettling, drawing the reader into a world where loneliness, chance encounters, and unspoken emotions quietly unfold. His writing gives even the most ordinary moments an eerie beauty, making the city feel alive long after midnight.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, although Murakami, as always, left the ending open.


Quotes from the book-


“ That people's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. Whether those memories have any actual importance or not, it doesn't matter as far as the maintenance of life is concerned. They're all just fuel. “

“The ground we stand on looks solid enough, but if something happens it can drop right out from under you.”

“Sometimes I feel as if I'm racing with my own shadow”

“The silence is so deep it hurts our ears”

“I am me and not me.”

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