Crawling At Night: A Novel

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Summary: Ruthless Review
Review: Courtesy of ruthlessreviews.com

The book jacket informs us, in the kind of bio all publicists dream of, that before she wrote this, her debut novel, Nani Power was a caterer in Manhattan, a sandwich seller on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, a chef in a Japanese restaurant, and a nanny to a family living in a trailer. All of these experiences seem relevant when taking into account Crawling At Night but one title is missing; sensualist.

Two discordant protagonists paint the narrative alive in this nihilistic and self-destructive tale of loss and decay. Ito is a Japanese sushi chef with a dark past who runs to New York City to escape his demons, but, as Walden once said, "you cannot run from your past. Wherever you may go, the giant goes with you." Mariane is a raging alcoholic with a similar attachment to her past failings who loses her job when her boss attempts, and fails, to rape her. Ito discovers that he cannot save Mariane from herself, and her past, where she longs to reclaim the daughter she gave up, and therefore he cannot forgive himself for abandoning his violent son.

Told largely in flashbacks blended with the present bitterness, Crawling At Night seethes with sexuality and desire, utilizing it as a means of temporary escape until reality comes crashing back in. Unfortunately, without the sex, and the naked woman on the cover, this story would have lost me in the first five pages. I particularly enjoyed the passages where Ito recalls his time in Japan spent in a whorehouse where he fell in love with a girl named Xiu-xiu while his wife was being eaten alive by cancer at home alone. It was there that I found Nani's real power coming through, in the subtle sifting of sex and death, which is what, at its core, all great literature is about.

ruthlessreviews.com

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Summary: A dark and lurid read!
Review: Dark and lurid novels have always enhanced my reading experience, and the beautiful descriptions and passionate prose in Crawling at Night floored me from beginning to end.

Set in Manhattan, Crawling at Night is the story of Ito and Mariane -- a tormented sushi chef and the woman of his dreams. Painful pasts, loneliness and the cruel anonymity of the city nights bind these two together -- and the result is a powerful and literary tale of love and loss.

The characterization is flawless... Nani Power has created two protagonists that touch the reader's soul. Also, Manhattan is the perfect backdrop for this book, for it illustrates the darkness and piercing loneliness the characters endure. This is one of the best dark reads I've had all year. Nani Power is a wonderful new voice in fiction and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

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Summary: A Modern Day William Faulkner
Review: I haven't enjoyed reading about people so much in ages. And yet the themes and lessons that gel beneath the players' fits are spread like a web to catch the conscience. You haven't experienced New York City until you've read Nani Power's Crawling at Night. You didn't know what you were up to in the country and suburbs, but now, by reference, you will.

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Summary: a desert island book...
Review: i love the way power uses flashblacks in this story; kind or reminds me of the movie " memento." she utilizes them to a point that she completely manipulates time. the characters are extremely compelling, especially ito and mariane...nani skillfully takes on the oriental and the poor white worlds and manages to shows each beautifully. the last 100 pages left me reeling. one you read mariane's story, you'll see just how much damage sexual abuse and alcoholism can do to a person....

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Summary: Not worth your time!
Review: I picked up this novel as I was attracted by its cover and the very promising explanation of the meaning of Yobai(crawling at night). After I had read through the authors introduction I started the book. From the beginning the novel lacked substance and the promised pros and lyrical style. At one point I asked myself if the author intended to fit every scene of her past life into the book - from catering, to living in a trailer, to chef at a Japanese restaurant-. Definitely not a book that I would recommend - just not worth it. This is in fact the first book that I every picked-up and thought it had wasted my time...

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Summary: Great "Beach Read"!
Review: I read "Crawling at Night" over vacation in the Caribbean...and the combination of the sun beating down...and, the books erotic scenes, it was one HOT read! Ito and Mariane with their seperate, yet connected , desperate lives came alive on every page...a great choice for those steamy summer days ahead. Make sure you have a cool drink nearby!

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Summary: Complicated and Tragic
Review: I refer all of you to the review marked "Yawn" below, as the review is dead on. I read this book on the advice of an excellent review in the NYTIMES. I was mislead. The characters lacked substance and depth, and the sex scenes seemed to be thrown in for no apparent reason. It's a shame, too, because somewhere in here there could have been an interesting novel.... I wish I had passed on this one.

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Summary: A Fantastic First Novel, Nani!
Review: I very much enjoyed this book although I wouldn't say it was by any means a light read. It was quite a brain excercise! There was a side to a city and an entire "New York Japanese/American," culture that perhaps one would rather look at from afar. Power gives us a rare opportunity to do just that. I felt intensely for the character,MaryAnn, so much so that after reading the story she haunted my dreams. Be prepared to feel.

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Summary: Captivating and different.
Review: I was amazed...started reading this new author, and found myself unable to stop reading. The characters develop as if they are personal friends, and maybe you are learning too much about them...but you can't stop knowing more. I frequently read a good story, and fall in love with the story, but in this novel, I fell in love with the characters.But, the story will not disappoint you: rather it is captivating and the sex is realistic without being stupidly pornographic. The authoress seems to have an unusual amount of worldwide education, or has done extraordinay research. Her understanding of foreign cultures is exceeded only by her ability to weave this understanding into the plot and to make the feature characters real and infinately interesting. Ms. Power's vocabulary is extensive but not excessive. Her language ability seemingly diverse, and her use of tying the preparation of Japanese food into the fabric of the story is brilliant. This is a 'good read'. I can hardly wait for her next Book.

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Summary: Haven¿t read a book like this in a long time.
Review: I was moved- taken away- or I should say "blown away"- by Nani Power's character depictions. I can't stop thinking about the story, it seems like it's surfacing everywhere in my life, in the individuals I encounter daily on the city streets. I previously read a piece she wrote about Rimbaud from the perpective of the lice in his hair (a Granta issue?)!!? This woman is truly warped, in a delightfully twisted way.