Finding Enlightenment After Dark Unpacking Murakami’s Novel About the Search for Human Connection When I was a high school student, I studied abroad for a summer in Tokyo with a Japanese family. I have always been passionate about Japan, so for me it was the experience of a lifetime. At the time, I had never heard of Murakami until my host father pulled out a copy of 1Q84 one night after dinner. Intrigued, I asked him about it. The way he glowed while discussing his love of the book and Murakami inspired me to give the iconic Japanese author’s works a try. Once I returned home to the states, I scoured the shelves of my local library for Murakami’s English translated works. The only one available was, you guessed it, After Dark . I checked it out and blitzed right through it in a day. I cannot say that I immediately loved it. After all, not a whole lot happens. At least, not on the surface. But ...