The magic happens only AFTER the lights go out...

I first discovered this little guy in a used bookstore near Wrigley Field. It had a pretty spine, so I plucked it out. And to my surprise, it was a Haruki Murakami novel, which excited me. Plus, it had a beautiful cover, which titillated me. And the back-cover praise was written in this extremely pleasing, colorful rainbow font, which just sent me over the edge (given my strong feelings about rainbows and colors). So, all of the above immediately moved this novel, which I knew virtually nothing about (I didn't even read the inside flap, for fear of spoiling things), to the top of my reading list (that's truly all it takes. I'm really easy). And now it's done.

So, hmm. What to say. The first five-sixths were... disappointing, sadly. After Dark is about one specific night in Tokyo, from the hours of midnight to seven a.m., and the general underbelly-ness that happens during the time of darkness. Definitely a fine idea, but in execution, it didn't really pan out. The translation felt a little off, and Murakami kept giving these weird, superfluous hints about what was going on, when in fact, it was actually quite easy to make the connections on my own, without the author's finger-pointing and unnecessary highlighting. So, I don't know. It wasn't what I was hoping for. But then something weird happened. The final sixth sliver was oddly (bafflingly)... incredible. I don't know why, or how. But there was one specific page where I was like, oh wait, this novel is actually really really good. And for the last 30 pages, it just clicked, and it was exciting, and all-around kind of wonderful. So now I'm all confused.

I think A Wild Sheep Chase was better. And of the two Murakami novels that I've read thus far, I would recommend the one about the sheep. But still, After Dark has left me oddly satisfied, considering I was planning on ripping the shit out of it until I got to page 161.