The epic new novel from the internationally acclaimed and best-selling author of 1Q84
In Killing Commendatore, a thirty-something portrait painter in Tokyo is abandoned by his wife and finds himself holed up in the mountain home of a famous artist, Tomohiko Amada. When he discovers a previously unseen painting in the attic, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances. To close it, he must complete a journey that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a two-foot-high physical manifestation of an Idea, a dapper businessman who lives across the valley, a precocious thirteen-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt during World War II in Vienna, a pit in the woods behind the artist’s home, and an underworld haunted by Double Metaphors. A tour de force of love and loneliness, war and art—as well as a loving homage to The Great Gatsby—Killing Commendatore is a stunning work of imagination from one of our greatest writers.
To enjoy Murakami, you just have to open your head and go along. Magical realism, strange goings-on, characters that are fully realized. It’s not for everyone, but if you like a strange tale, you will enjoy it.
I am a big fan of Haruki Murakami. And though I highly recommend this latest novel, Killing Commendatore, I recommend it with certain qualifications. The characters are very engaging, even (maybe especially) the fantastical ones. The plot, once it begins to move forward, is gripping. A reader should be aware that the novel is long (733 pages), that the story begins slowly and takes a while to engage, and that the narrative is a mixture of realism, fantasy, and allegory. Murakami delves pretty deeply into the psychology of family and of the self. And several important issues/questions are left unresolved in the end.
Such an amazing read! Mr. Murakami is one of my all-time favourites!
Yes, five stars because vintage Murakami, but not quite up there, I’d say, with the very best, i.e., Wind-Up Bird, Kafka, and maybe 1Q84.
Normally I’d put down a book that brings up a dead twelve year old’s breasts on more than one occasion. It is a ringing endorsement of Murakami as an author that I kept on reading and thoroughly enjoyed this absolutely mental book.
This is a typical Murakami novel, although he has such a great variety in the fantasy world he creates, that one can hardly speak of typical. In this particular novel he is a master in describing painting and the painter. Only a master writer succeeds in transferring one or two media (painting and music) with words.
From Murakami fan: The book started out interesting but fell apart. It seemed to be going somewhere, then added up to nothing. I found the last sections ridiculous.
I love Murakami but this is not his best. Still recommend.
excellent reading
Haruki Murikami is one of my favorite authors. He creates a reality that is wrapped in a dream-like cloud. You observe his characters as well as live in their minds. He creates another world and you never want to leave. It’s usually a beautiful world. You love the characters and their Japanese culture.
Killing Commendatore takes surreal, magical realism to an entirely new level. The book can be an ambling beast at times, but it’s so imaginative and thought-provoking, with almost-lyrical phrasing, that the master-at-work vibe always permeates, even during the darkest moments. Plus the whole thing starts with a man who has no face, so how can you go wrong with that?
If you loved 1Q84 you would love this book. Some typical Murakami themes like conceiving at a distance are repeated.