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ENTRY

Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011

Haruki Murakami is supposedly in the running for the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature (I don't think the award committee says who has been nominated). I'd like to see him win, although it doesn't seem likely (his odds are 8-1 according to UK bookies). I love his books and am looking forward to the upcoming English publication of 1Q84. Here is a review of one his books, After Dark.

After Dark contains many of the elements and themes common to Haruki Murakami’s other novels: a wise-beyond-her-years teenaged girl or young woman, a hip but dispossessed and introspective young man, cats, jazz, late-night diners serving omelets. Fans of his will relish the familiar elements like home-cooked meals of comfort food. What is different about this book from his others is that it lacks full coherence as a novel, reading more like several loosely connected short stories.

Murakami’s overriding theme explored in his novels is a search for place, in the physical sense of the word but mostly in an existential sense. His characters realize they have full responsibility for creating a meaning for their life. This realization frees them from societal expectations of career and family, and from mindlessly following rules and laws. However, it also drags them down, not only into non-traditional lifestyles, but also sets them into a circular kind of action-inaction response to events. Lacking a fully formed theory of their place they must consider and reconsider each action and its consequences in relative isolation. When his characters are forced to act, they are also forced into a place that provides them insights into themselves.

The main action of After Dark occurs during a single night, although there is much reminiscing about past occurrences that shape the characters present situations. The two main characters, Takahashi, the young man, and Mari, the teenaged girl, who previously met on a forgettable blind date, bump into one another in a restaurant. She is reading but mostly just passing time until morning, disliking being in her home at night. He is grabbing a quick bite and coffee before going to his band’s practice session.

They chat, mainly about Mari’s older sister, Eri, a beautiful model who overshadows her sister but is now having personal problems. When they finally move onto other topics, they tell banal details of themselves: she speaks Chinese, he plays trombone. Takahashi and Mari seem to have little in common although there is a hint of some shared ambivalence toward life.

Not long after Takahashi leaves for band practice, a woman comes into the Denny’s and begs for Eri’s help with a Chinese prostitute who was beaten severely at the love hotel she manages. The woman, Kaoru, an ex-professional wrestler, is a friend of Takahashi and when she asked him if he knew anyone who speaks Chinese, he told her about Eri.

These initial events set the plot in motion. In addition to the storylines of the two main characters, the threads include those of the abused Chinese woman who was forced into prostitution, the violent business man who beat the prostitute, Kaoru’s life as a wrestler and hotel manager, Eri’s sad existence which largely consists of sleeping, and a mysterious stranger who watches Eri sleep. Takahashi and Eri reunite before the night is over, with insight into themselves, not to mention the possibility of a budding romance.

After Dark is vintage Murakami, despite a weak coherence between the story threads. Of course as a short novel, it can’t have the breadth and complexities of say The Windup Bird Chronicle, but it could have the impact and jewel-like quality of say South of the Border, West of the Sun. Still, After Dark is better than most novels I’ve read recently. Even more importantly for Murakami fans, it’s a necessary fix.

© 2013

COMMENTS

Number of comments: 2
click here to add a comment

Todd
And the winner is: Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, congratulations!

Gail
I finally got a hold of a copy of 1Q84 at the library, and I am halfway through it (925 pages!). The reviews have been mixed, and I can see some things that need improving (tightening up), but in general I love the story and find it a compelling read. One of his best, for sure!

ARCHIVE

date (comments)

Review: Paprika
April 21, 2013 (3)

Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves
March 30, 2013 (1)

Gripping writing
Feb. 28, 2013 (2)

Review: Salvation of a Saint
January 19, 2013 (2)

2012 in review
December 30, 2012 (2)

Review: Ninja
September 30, 2012 (2)

Review: My Postwar Life
August 21, 2012 (1)

New interview with Colin Marshall
July 15, 2012 (3)

Book events
April 25, 2012 (2)

Subduction
March 14, 2012 (8)

Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
January 14, 2012 (1)

Review: Plainsong
December 20, 2011 (3)

Review: The Devil's Disciple
November 29, 2011 (2)

Haruki Murakami
October 5, 2011 (2)

Busyness and demons
September 25, 2011 (2)

Characters: The Bully
July 30, 2011 (3)

Review: Manazuru
June 28, 2011 (2)

Deadlines!
June 24, 2011 (2)

Review: Butterfly's Sisters
May 18, 2011 (1)

Review: Isle of Dreams
April 20, 2011 (2)

Cades Award for Literature press release
April 12, 2011 (2)

Japan and other news
March 29, 2011 (1)

Borders bankruptcy
February 17, 2011 (2)

2010 review
December 17, 2010 (6)

Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa
October 7, 2010 (2)

OH! wins best book award
September 23, 2010 (2)

Review: Kissing the Mask
August 22, 2010 (1)

Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins
July 12, 2010 (2)

Review: Love in Translation
June 22, 2010 (3)

Jose Saramago
June 18, 2010 (0)

Marketplace of Ideas interview
June 11, 2010 (2)

Imagining Memory
May 6, 2010 (1)

Upcoming Los Angeles events
April 7, 2010 (2)

Time and energy
March 30, 2010 (2)

Review: Botchan
February 28, 2010 (2)

J.D. Salinger
January 28, 2010 (1)

2009 Reviewed
December 31, 2009 (5)

Review: The Word Book
December 12, 2009 (1)

Chaat and Chat event with OH!
November 6, 2009 (2)

Home at last
November 2, 2009 (2)

Los Angeles events
October 17, 2009 (1)

Poets and poetry
October 7, 2009 (1)

Time + place
September 24, 2009 (1)

The future of books
September 23, 2009 (1)

October book tour
September 6, 2009 (1)

Blogging at Powell's Books
August 28, 2009 (2)

The evolution of an idea
August 3, 2009 (1)

The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey
July 9, 2009 (2)

Tour debrief
July 2, 2009 (3)

Book tour events
May 18, 2009 (3)

Simply in the mood
April 24, 2009 (2)

Book tour
April 8, 2009 (6)

The Necessary Book
March 2, 2009 (2)

"Murder Makes the Magazine"
February 7, 2009 (3)

John Updike
January 27, 2009 (2)

2008 misc. (good news, bad news)
January 1, 2009 (3)

Publishing woes and query letters
December 13, 2008 (4)

Punctuation compunction
November 16, 2008 (3)

The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas)
October 10, 2008 (2)

David Foster Wallace
September 14, 2008 (2)

Ending it all
September 12, 2008 (2)

The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries
August 29, 2008 (3)

Blocking out the block
August 20, 2008 (3)

"What kind of books do you write?"
August 8, 2008 (2)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4
July 21, 2008 (3)

Show and tell
July 14, 2008 (3)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3
July 7, 2008 (7)

Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me)
June 30, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2
June 18, 2008 (3)

To be or not to be
June 10, 2008 (6)

Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1
June 3, 2008 (6)

Virtual unreality
May 31, 2008 (4)

The purpose of this blog
May 21, 2008 (5)

Todd Shimoda's Writer's Blog home \| current \| forthcoming \| past \| contact
ENTRY Haruki Murakami October 5, 2011 Haruki Murakami is supposedly in the running for the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature (I don't think the award committee says who has been nominated). I'd like to see him win, although it doesn't seem likely (his odds are 8-1 according to UK bookies). I love his books and am looking forward to the upcoming English publication of 1Q84. Here is a review of one his books, After Dark. After Dark contains many of the elements and themes common to Haruki Murakami’s other novels: a wise-beyond-her-years teenaged girl or young woman, a hip but dispossessed and introspective young man, cats, jazz, late-night diners serving omelets. Fans of his will relish the familiar elements like home-cooked meals of comfort food. What is different about this book from his others is that it lacks full coherence as a novel, reading more like several loosely connected short stories. Murakami’s overriding theme explored in his novels is a search for place, in the physical sense of the word but mostly in an existential sense. His characters realize they have full responsibility for creating a meaning for their life. This realization frees them from societal expectations of career and family, and from mindlessly following rules and laws. However, it also drags them down, not only into non-traditional lifestyles, but also sets them into a circular kind of action-inaction response to events. Lacking a fully formed theory of their place they must consider and reconsider each action and its consequences in relative isolation. When his characters are forced to act, they are also forced into a place that provides them insights into themselves. The main action of After Dark occurs during a single night, although there is much reminiscing about past occurrences that shape the characters present situations. The two main characters, Takahashi, the young man, and Mari, the teenaged girl, who previously met on a forgettable blind date, bump into one another in a restaurant. She is reading but mostly just passing time until morning, disliking being in her home at night. He is grabbing a quick bite and coffee before going to his band’s practice session. They chat, mainly about Mari’s older sister, Eri, a beautiful model who overshadows her sister but is now having personal problems. When they finally move onto other topics, they tell banal details of themselves: she speaks Chinese, he plays trombone. Takahashi and Mari seem to have little in common although there is a hint of some shared ambivalence toward life. Not long after Takahashi leaves for band practice, a woman comes into the Denny’s and begs for Eri’s help with a Chinese prostitute who was beaten severely at the love hotel she manages. The woman, Kaoru, an ex-professional wrestler, is a friend of Takahashi and when she asked him if he knew anyone who speaks Chinese, he told her about Eri. These initial events set the plot in motion. In addition to the storylines of the two main characters, the threads include those of the abused Chinese woman who was forced into prostitution, the violent business man who beat the prostitute, Kaoru’s life as a wrestler and hotel manager, Eri’s sad existence which largely consists of sleeping, and a mysterious stranger who watches Eri sleep. Takahashi and Eri reunite before the night is over, with insight into themselves, not to mention the possibility of a budding romance. After Dark is vintage Murakami, despite a weak coherence between the story threads. Of course as a short novel, it can’t have the breadth and complexities of say The Windup Bird Chronicle, but it could have the impact and jewel-like quality of say South of the Border, West of the Sun. Still, After Dark is better than most novels I’ve read recently. Even more importantly for Murakami fans, it’s a necessary fix. © 2013	COMMENTS Number of comments: 2 click here to add a comment Todd And the winner is: Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, congratulations! Gail I finally got a hold of a copy of 1Q84 at the library, and I am halfway through it (925 pages!). The reviews have been mixed, and I can see some things that need improving (tightening up), but in general I love the story and find it a compelling read. One of his best, for sure!	ARCHIVE date (comments) Review: Paprika April 21, 2013 (3) Review: A Straight Road With 99 Curves March 30, 2013 (1) Gripping writing Feb. 28, 2013 (2) Review: Salvation of a Saint January 19, 2013 (2) 2012 in review December 30, 2012 (2) Review: Ninja September 30, 2012 (2) Review: My Postwar Life August 21, 2012 (1) New interview with Colin Marshall July 15, 2012 (3) Book events April 25, 2012 (2) Subduction March 14, 2012 (8) Review: A Room Where the Star Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard January 14, 2012 (1) Review: Plainsong December 20, 2011 (3) Review: The Devil's Disciple November 29, 2011 (2) Haruki Murakami October 5, 2011 (2) Busyness and demons September 25, 2011 (2) Characters: The Bully July 30, 2011 (3) Review: Manazuru June 28, 2011 (2) Deadlines! June 24, 2011 (2) Review: Butterfly's Sisters May 18, 2011 (1) Review: Isle of Dreams April 20, 2011 (2) Cades Award for Literature press release April 12, 2011 (2) Japan and other news March 29, 2011 (1) Borders bankruptcy February 17, 2011 (2) 2010 review December 17, 2010 (6) Congratulations Mario Vargas Llosa October 7, 2010 (2) OH! wins best book award September 23, 2010 (2) Review: Kissing the Mask August 22, 2010 (1) Jonathan Lethem: Writing at the margins July 12, 2010 (2) Review: Love in Translation June 22, 2010 (3) Jose Saramago June 18, 2010 (0) Marketplace of Ideas interview June 11, 2010 (2) Imagining Memory May 6, 2010 (1) Upcoming Los Angeles events April 7, 2010 (2) Time and energy March 30, 2010 (2) Review: Botchan February 28, 2010 (2) J.D. Salinger January 28, 2010 (1) 2009 Reviewed December 31, 2009 (5) Review: The Word Book December 12, 2009 (1) Chaat and Chat event with OH! November 6, 2009 (2) Home at last November 2, 2009 (2) Los Angeles events October 17, 2009 (1) Poets and poetry October 7, 2009 (1) Time + place September 24, 2009 (1) The future of books September 23, 2009 (1) October book tour September 6, 2009 (1) Blogging at Powell's Books August 28, 2009 (2) The evolution of an idea August 3, 2009 (1) The Poetics of Motoori Norinaga: A Hermeneutical Journey July 9, 2009 (2) Tour debrief July 2, 2009 (3) Book tour events May 18, 2009 (3) Simply in the mood April 24, 2009 (2) Book tour April 8, 2009 (6) The Necessary Book March 2, 2009 (2) "Murder Makes the Magazine" February 7, 2009 (3) John Updike January 27, 2009 (2) 2008 misc. (good news, bad news) January 1, 2009 (3) Publishing woes and query letters December 13, 2008 (4) Punctuation compunction November 16, 2008 (3) The Fountain of Youth (and other Ideas) October 10, 2008 (2) David Foster Wallace September 14, 2008 (2) Ending it all September 12, 2008 (2) The mystery of plotting, the plotting of mysteries August 29, 2008 (3) Blocking out the block August 20, 2008 (3) "What kind of books do you write?" August 8, 2008 (2) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 4 July 21, 2008 (3) Show and tell July 14, 2008 (3) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 3 July 7, 2008 (7) Advice for first-time writers (Barry Gifford and me) June 30, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 2 June 18, 2008 (3) To be or not to be June 10, 2008 (6) Theory of Satisfaction: Part 1 June 3, 2008 (6) Virtual unreality May 31, 2008 (4) The purpose of this blog May 21, 2008 (5)