Review on After Dark
It’s not as if our lives are divided simply into light and dark. There’s a shadowy middle ground.
--Murakami Haruki--
These days I was busy reading a book by Murakami Haruki called After Dark. To tell the truth I had once read the novel but never reach half book. Not the book less enthralling. I am not that picky when it comes to Murakami works. Instead I am a veracious reader. I will wholeheartedly devour all pages while surmise as I flip the page what kind of story will Murakami brought us. Murakami always succeeded to bring our imaginations gone wild as we open every page.
After Dark is basically a novel that tells how life went on when dark came. Story began in one family restaurant in downtown city. Night 12 p.m. in the city there sit a college girl deep concentrate in her book. After time being came a man who likely wanted having his late night meal. The man (re: Tetsuya Takahashi) approached the girl (re: Mari Asai) as he recognized her at one glanced. They two happened met two years ago when Mari was still high school student. Takahashi inquires if she doesn’t mind having him in same table and promises he would not bother. As a matter of fact, they had a talk and mostly Takahashi convey the conversation. Somehow this accidentally meeting intertwined their fate. Later Mari being drag on situation that need her ability. There is manager of love hotel came seek her at the restaurant to help the injured woman. She only speaks Chinese and only Mari can assist her. The Manager (re: Kaoru) knew from Takahashi that Mari can speak Chinese. The injured woman was a prostitute that being abused by her customer. He found out in the moment when they were going have intercourse that the woman just gets his period, went out crazy and end up wounded the woman and stole her money and clothes. He left her stark naked so she can’t immediately seek for help.
Another sight, there lies Mari’s sister, Eri Asai in her bed. She sleeps profoundly and barely signed of breathing. Eri wasn’t in the state of coma, she just in one night resolved to sleep and wont intended to wake up. She was being watched by some people in the room and become part of it but could not intrude. They were not alone watching Eri, inside black screen TV there was a man, sitting straight in the chair and not make slight move. He just like stare at Eri’s direction without making any move. Intruders inside Eri’s room can’t identify his face because his covers with translucent mask and they can’t not tell his countenance. Unlike they, the man was attempt to intervene the situation. Later Eri will be gone and trapped to the place inside the TV screen. The location of her existence is similar to a room of Shirakawa’s office, the one who abused the prostitute at the love hotel. There is no Shirakawa, only a vacant room. The room in Eri’s world had two doors, but none of them was working. She is trying to get out of the room. She just can’t comprehend the situation on what she ended up being trap into this room.
Back to the scene of love hotel, Kaoru phoned the person who was got to take responsible of prostitute, this kind of prostitution always run by some gangster. The person came by motorcycle halted in front of love hotel and picked the prostitute away. The hotel bills even haven’t paid off. Later Kaoru phoned back and met again the person who take the prostitute and gave him a photo of the suspect that she got from the surveillance camera. Kaoru just hope he will get catch away. She really hated the person who done physical abuse and on top of that hadn’t paid his bill hotel.
Mari shifted to the other place addressed by Kaoru. Mari later met Takahashi taking a brief break of his practice. The talked while enjoying the hot coffee. Time already shows 3 a.m. and it was the darkest and the hardest part of the night. They later take a strolled away to the park and sitting in the bench. They talked so much and one of the topics was about Mari relationship with her sister Eri. Accidentally, one day Eri and Takahashi bumped her in the street and Takahashi ended up being of subject of her gripe. Takahashi asserts from Eri’s story that she wants to be closer to her sister, Mari. They were bound in blood but somehow they were like strangers. The last memory she ever experienced with Eri when Mari was in kindergarten they once were trapped in the elevator. Mari can sense her sister strength. They both were scared but Eri behaved like true older sister.
Story went and ended up when a new day come, Eri had going back to her room as if there’s nothing weird happen last night. Her positions even same as she left. Mari came back to her room and straight heading to her sister room and burrowing herself into the bed.
Additional note:
What has been mystery for me is, the phone that being stole from the prostitute bag by Shirakawa. He unintentionally left it, when he was on the way home and dropped off to supermarket and left it in the shelf. The gangster called the phone and left a threaten message that accidentally pick up by Takahashi and then by the store assistant. I mean the story should not be ended like this. I am really curious what act could possibly be done if the gangster really gets Shirakawa.
More additional note:
Takahashi’s motto of life: Walk slowly, drink lots of water.
--Murakami Haruki--
These days I was busy reading a book by Murakami Haruki called After Dark. To tell the truth I had once read the novel but never reach half book. Not the book less enthralling. I am not that picky when it comes to Murakami works. Instead I am a veracious reader. I will wholeheartedly devour all pages while surmise as I flip the page what kind of story will Murakami brought us. Murakami always succeeded to bring our imaginations gone wild as we open every page.
After Dark is basically a novel that tells how life went on when dark came. Story began in one family restaurant in downtown city. Night 12 p.m. in the city there sit a college girl deep concentrate in her book. After time being came a man who likely wanted having his late night meal. The man (re: Tetsuya Takahashi) approached the girl (re: Mari Asai) as he recognized her at one glanced. They two happened met two years ago when Mari was still high school student. Takahashi inquires if she doesn’t mind having him in same table and promises he would not bother. As a matter of fact, they had a talk and mostly Takahashi convey the conversation. Somehow this accidentally meeting intertwined their fate. Later Mari being drag on situation that need her ability. There is manager of love hotel came seek her at the restaurant to help the injured woman. She only speaks Chinese and only Mari can assist her. The Manager (re: Kaoru) knew from Takahashi that Mari can speak Chinese. The injured woman was a prostitute that being abused by her customer. He found out in the moment when they were going have intercourse that the woman just gets his period, went out crazy and end up wounded the woman and stole her money and clothes. He left her stark naked so she can’t immediately seek for help.
Another sight, there lies Mari’s sister, Eri Asai in her bed. She sleeps profoundly and barely signed of breathing. Eri wasn’t in the state of coma, she just in one night resolved to sleep and wont intended to wake up. She was being watched by some people in the room and become part of it but could not intrude. They were not alone watching Eri, inside black screen TV there was a man, sitting straight in the chair and not make slight move. He just like stare at Eri’s direction without making any move. Intruders inside Eri’s room can’t identify his face because his covers with translucent mask and they can’t not tell his countenance. Unlike they, the man was attempt to intervene the situation. Later Eri will be gone and trapped to the place inside the TV screen. The location of her existence is similar to a room of Shirakawa’s office, the one who abused the prostitute at the love hotel. There is no Shirakawa, only a vacant room. The room in Eri’s world had two doors, but none of them was working. She is trying to get out of the room. She just can’t comprehend the situation on what she ended up being trap into this room.
Back to the scene of love hotel, Kaoru phoned the person who was got to take responsible of prostitute, this kind of prostitution always run by some gangster. The person came by motorcycle halted in front of love hotel and picked the prostitute away. The hotel bills even haven’t paid off. Later Kaoru phoned back and met again the person who take the prostitute and gave him a photo of the suspect that she got from the surveillance camera. Kaoru just hope he will get catch away. She really hated the person who done physical abuse and on top of that hadn’t paid his bill hotel.
Mari shifted to the other place addressed by Kaoru. Mari later met Takahashi taking a brief break of his practice. The talked while enjoying the hot coffee. Time already shows 3 a.m. and it was the darkest and the hardest part of the night. They later take a strolled away to the park and sitting in the bench. They talked so much and one of the topics was about Mari relationship with her sister Eri. Accidentally, one day Eri and Takahashi bumped her in the street and Takahashi ended up being of subject of her gripe. Takahashi asserts from Eri’s story that she wants to be closer to her sister, Mari. They were bound in blood but somehow they were like strangers. The last memory she ever experienced with Eri when Mari was in kindergarten they once were trapped in the elevator. Mari can sense her sister strength. They both were scared but Eri behaved like true older sister.
Story went and ended up when a new day come, Eri had going back to her room as if there’s nothing weird happen last night. Her positions even same as she left. Mari came back to her room and straight heading to her sister room and burrowing herself into the bed.
Additional note:
What has been mystery for me is, the phone that being stole from the prostitute bag by Shirakawa. He unintentionally left it, when he was on the way home and dropped off to supermarket and left it in the shelf. The gangster called the phone and left a threaten message that accidentally pick up by Takahashi and then by the store assistant. I mean the story should not be ended like this. I am really curious what act could possibly be done if the gangster really gets Shirakawa.
More additional note:
Takahashi’s motto of life: Walk slowly, drink lots of water.
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