Haruki Murakami Review Part One- After Dark

This short story follows a group of isolated or alienated individuals whose lives cross over in the darkness of a Japanese night. Firstly, as someone who feels that all books could do with losing at least 50-100 pages, and all movies half an hour, the brevity of this piece is welcomed. So is the simplicity. As will be seen above I do have some reservations with the longer or most surreal works. Looking up some other reviews on the internet, this work seems to be one of the least respected by serious Murakami fans, maybe the restrained surrealism the reason for this. However, I like this realist nature, as it allows an investment and engagement with well drawn characters, which can be annoyingly jarred by the talk of alternative realities. The heavy set whore house owner, the girl from the cafe the black sheep of the family, the excitable and sociable band member and the office worker are all excellently written. The extent of the story across this short work involves the voyeuristic watching of the girl in the cafe's comatose sister and a murder in the brothel. The first aspect is typical Murakami surrealism, though pleasingly restrained. The second though showing us the culprit for the murder, and the potential future retribution, seems more like The Twilight Zone, for me something to be grateful for. Ultimately, I would describe this as a perfect entry point to new readers, though not wholely representative of his work as a whole.