After Dark

A beautifully packaged hardback edition of Haruki Murakami''s mesmerizingly evocative classic, now with a new introduction by the author

Eyes mark the shape of the city

The midnight hour approaches in an almost-empty diner. Mari sips her coffee and reads a book, but soon her solitude is disturbed: a girl has been beaten up at the Alphaville hotel, and needs Mari''s help.

Meanwhile Mari''s beautiful sister Eri lies in a deep, heavy sleep that is ''too perfect, too pure'' to be normal; it has lasted for two months. But tonight as the digital clock displays 00:00, a hint of life flickers across the television screen in her room, even though its plug has been pulled out.

Strange nocturnal happenings, or a trick of the night?

''A captivating mood piece, delicate and wistful'' Evening Standard