Haruki Murakami's After Dark: surprised that Eri Asai hasn't died from pulmonary embolism

BEING a "morning person," I found Haruki Murakami's After Dark intriguing.

Two parallel stories occur, and it won't be long before we find out they're related. The first involves a weird 19-year old girl (Mari) who reads in a diner alone, at midnight. The second is about a beautiful lady (Eri) sleeping soundly, her TV set spontaneously showing what seem like real-time videos of a mystery man and, possibly, herself.

Mari and Eri are actually sisters. Mari is the nerd; Eri is the magazine model. We eventually get why Mari is up and about at that time of the night: she wants to spend as much time alone, away from her home, because of a problem. Her sister Eri has been asleep for months now—not dead, just asleep. One day Eri said she was going to get some sleep, and she hasn't emerged from her slumber since.

More troubling than the prolonged sleep for me is the fact that the family hasn't even consulted a physician. What if she develops DVT as a result of prolonged immobilization? Or maybe sacral decubitus ulcers? Sometimes I don't get Murakami.

It's been a fun read, anyway.