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mbahnaf's reviews
280 reviews
The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper, Franz Kafka
5.0
"One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug."
Franz Kafka is considered one of the greats of surrealism and existentialist literature. The dark themes of existential anxiety and alienation that come to life in his writings (sometimes in absurdist situations) are what make him one of the pillars of the modernist and post-modernist literature.
The Metamorphosis chronicles the plight of one Gregor Samsa and his family, as one day he wakes up to find he has been transformed into a massive bug. This sudden change throws the lives of the entire family into turmoil.
Franz Kafka is considered one of the greats of surrealism and existentialist literature. The dark themes of existential anxiety and alienation that come to life in his writings (sometimes in absurdist situations) are what make him one of the pillars of the modernist and post-modernist literature.
The Metamorphosis chronicles the plight of one Gregor Samsa and his family, as one day he wakes up to find he has been transformed into a massive bug. This sudden change throws the lives of the entire family into turmoil.
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
2.0
“In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It's important to combine the two in just the right amount.”
I usually tend to like Murakami's writing, so writing a two-star review feels strange. After Dark chronicles the events of one fateful night in Tokyo, exploring the night-life in the quiet shady areas of the city. The writing has the usual Murakami surrealistic imagery and there is a strange eerie suspense maintained throughout. Unfortunately, that is about all the credit you can give this book, for the writing and the subsequent scenes appear shallow and full of tropes. We have the "abused sex-worker", "hooker with a heart of gold" and the most over-used "woman running from her past". At this point, the book starts sounding like a regular Hollywood indie flick (Leaving Las Vegas, anyone?).
That said, the book is a breezy read, relatively short in length and full of Murakami-esque quietisms. I didn't really like it. However, it isn't a criminally bad book. Just not my type.
Notable references
The book makes multiple references to pop-culture of the past. Alphaville, Blade Runner and Love Story are among some of the films mentioned in the book. The story also has the usual classic Murakami soundtrack. The novel gets its name from Curtis Fuller's Five Spot After Dark from the Blues-ette album. Some other notable tracks mentioned in the book:
[ Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chq885RKXAI
[ Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8
[ Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LLfFY9pQg
I usually tend to like Murakami's writing, so writing a two-star review feels strange. After Dark chronicles the events of one fateful night in Tokyo, exploring the night-life in the quiet shady areas of the city. The writing has the usual Murakami surrealistic imagery and there is a strange eerie suspense maintained throughout. Unfortunately, that is about all the credit you can give this book, for the writing and the subsequent scenes appear shallow and full of tropes. We have the "abused sex-worker", "hooker with a heart of gold" and the most over-used "woman running from her past". At this point, the book starts sounding like a regular Hollywood indie flick (Leaving Las Vegas, anyone?).
That said, the book is a breezy read, relatively short in length and full of Murakami-esque quietisms. I didn't really like it. However, it isn't a criminally bad book. Just not my type.
Notable references
The book makes multiple references to pop-culture of the past. Alphaville, Blade Runner and Love Story are among some of the films mentioned in the book. The story also has the usual classic Murakami soundtrack. The novel gets its name from Curtis Fuller's Five Spot After Dark from the Blues-ette album. Some other notable tracks mentioned in the book:
[ Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chq885RKXAI
[ Hall and Oates - I Can't Go For That ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccenFp_3kq8
[ Duke Ellington - Sophisticated Lady ] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LLfFY9pQg