After Dark - Haruki Marukami

This is my first Haruki Marukami book, which I picked up from the library at City Hall in Central. Although it is not my first Marukami story, having watched 'Norwegian Wood' at the cinema a few days prior. Its kind of a long short story on the events that occur over about 8 hours in the period of one night, to a young woman who is unable to sleep but doesn't want to go home and has to hang out in various dubious locations around her locale. There are brief interludes referring to her beautiful sister sleeping in a room and being watched by a man with no face through a television which gives you the creeps a few times throughout and reminds me of The Ring, and made me wonder whether this was a Sci Fi book or not, not being familiar with Marukami's style. It ticks along and is entertaining in a 'I wonder what's going to happen next, I hope it's nothing too gratuitous because that would be such a cop out' and there's a constant feeling of waiting for something climactical for the story lines to lead to. But it doesn't, ending all story threads in the morning. So it was like, 'ah, so it's like an arty type book...' Which isn't my kind of thing, definitely glad its not a book I've bought, the cover's a bit creepy too. But as I say, it's entertaining enough in a slow, literary, arty way, and it's short enough too to not make you think jeez what a waste of time.