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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Let's all chip in to get the esteemed Murakami an editor. Some fun parts, probably lost a full star for one of the worst written teenage girls I've ever encountered.
I've read reviews that this book didn't have the magic of Murakami's other works, which is an assessment I might agree with. This is certainly one of his quietest books. As the Commendatore describes Menshiki, everything is so carefully calculated that there just seems like something is off. We see similar themes as we had in the past--the sexual tension between an older man and a young girl (I can't imagine a 12 year old feeling comfortable talking to an older man about her prepubescent breasts, and I can't imagine an older man like the narrator feeling comfortable taking part in that conversation either). The narrator also spends an uncomfortable amount of time talking about his dead 12 year old sister's breasts and how big they may have been if she hadn't died so young. As with his previous books, there is, too, the nocturnal, dream-world sex/insemination. There's cooking, jazz, classical music, alcohol, cars, and a pit in the ground, just as one would expect from a Murakami novel.
I think my main problem with Murakami's protagonists is their lack of care for things that they should care about--they become colorless, or exist in a permanent state of shock that doesn't allow them to express the ways in which they care.
Despite these flaws or all too commonalities, existing solely by itself, it is a good book. I enjoyed the Commendatore, and I enjoyed the interactions between characters. I would spend the time to read it again if my list of books to read weren't so long.
I think my main problem with Murakami's protagonists is their lack of care for things that they should care about--they become colorless, or exist in a permanent state of shock that doesn't allow them to express the ways in which they care.
Despite these flaws or all too commonalities, existing solely by itself, it is a good book. I enjoyed the Commendatore, and I enjoyed the interactions between characters. I would spend the time to read it again if my list of books to read weren't so long.
This is a long book, somewhat repetitive (no doubt on purpose) and with basic, flat-affect words and sentences, so what is it that makes it stand out? This author has a huge imagination. He also has great instincts concerning story flow. E.g., a scene will shift before it gets boring, or a character (the delightful little commendatore) will disappear from the narrative for a while before he overwhelms it with his personality. There are also characters and situations that reminded me of ones in 1Q84, so there is a continuity in the reading experience. Personally I enjoyed that some characters were artists; I enjoy reading about the artistic process, which the author does a great job of describing.
I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t stop reading! Cozy and creepy in the best way.
We are brought back once again, in Murakami fashion, to dark places and teenage girls with secrets. (Not to mention the figment(s)). This book honestly made me think about life, death, and children in new and, frankly, somewhat disturbing ways.
2nd time I've read this one and it's typical Murakami in all the best ways. Weird and provocative and thoughtful.
I'll be termed as a typical Murakami-nerd, but this book probably is his best ever. Yes, I think Norwegian Wood is his best ever, so are The Windup Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the shore. But I definitely think Killing Commandatore has reached new heights in best-evers.
Such mastery shown for every detail of the plot - spine-chilling at times, standing on edge at others, unexplainable plot points for the heck of it - this book is a amazing roller coaster till the last page.
Even when describing mundane details as the narrator's lacklustre life, his mundane daily activities, his process of making art or what he thinks of the other protagonists, this mastery is seen.
How else can one write an amazing work of art laced with war stories, business world, married life of a young couple, bored-lonely-life-of-a-normal-artist, long descriptions of that studio with a great view in that house in the mountains in Odawara, the wordless words said by the paintings, the world inhabited by the paintings themselves, make you feel for fictional characters within a work of fiction... and tie it all together!
While reading this book, I found myself up, late at nights, with breathless excitement to know what happens next, at every twist and turn in this tale, and I couldn't get enough - it was a series of highs, with no lows!
I don't care who plays what character in the movie I wish they make on this book, but I want Jeff Bridges as Menshiki - I cannot get over Menshiki's white hair and his immaculate dressing as narrated in the story.
As is common with Murakami books, I walked away with a little more knowledge about painting and the process of making art than I had before and an imagination of how beautiful country living could be in Japan.
I am still lost in the world of Double Metaphors, and happenstances - one of the most beautiful being how I happened to come across a master of prose called Murakami.
(Note - Menshiki is the McDreamy-Or-Men-To-Die-For in this book, for me)
Such mastery shown for every detail of the plot - spine-chilling at times, standing on edge at others, unexplainable plot points for the heck of it - this book is a amazing roller coaster till the last page.
Even when describing mundane details as the narrator's lacklustre life, his mundane daily activities, his process of making art or what he thinks of the other protagonists, this mastery is seen.
How else can one write an amazing work of art laced with war stories, business world, married life of a young couple, bored-lonely-life-of-a-normal-artist, long descriptions of that studio with a great view in that house in the mountains in Odawara, the wordless words said by the paintings, the world inhabited by the paintings themselves, make you feel for fictional characters within a work of fiction... and tie it all together!
While reading this book, I found myself up, late at nights, with breathless excitement to know what happens next, at every twist and turn in this tale, and I couldn't get enough - it was a series of highs, with no lows!
I don't care who plays what character in the movie I wish they make on this book, but I want Jeff Bridges as Menshiki - I cannot get over Menshiki's white hair and his immaculate dressing as narrated in the story.
As is common with Murakami books, I walked away with a little more knowledge about painting and the process of making art than I had before and an imagination of how beautiful country living could be in Japan.
I am still lost in the world of Double Metaphors, and happenstances - one of the most beautiful being how I happened to come across a master of prose called Murakami.
(Note - Menshiki is the McDreamy-Or-Men-To-Die-For in this book, for me)
Killing Commendatore is Murakami, through and through. Weird events are treated as almost matter-of-fact; an encounter with a 2-foot tall man dressed in traditional Japanese garb is unusual, but nothing to get too worked up about. A deadly serious tone punctuated with occasional humor makes you wonder if the whole thing’s a joke. Characters are grounded in their love for music, with detailed references to operas, jazz, and pop songs. Bursts of sexuality help define them and shift gears in the plot. The main character is nearly isolated from the world, forced to confront his problems alone. Despite the strict adherence to form, this story had me hooked. I can never figure out the rules of the world in a Murakami book, but somehow this doesn’t frustrate, and instead propels me onwards.
In this installment, a portrait artist separates from his wife and moves in to the isolated house of an elderly artist, Tomohiko Amada, currently hospitalized with dementia (“he doesn’t know the difference between an opera and a frying pan”). The nameless narrator decides to buckle down and rededicate himself to art. He has a rough time of it, until he discovers a previously unknown painting from the famous former resident. Suddenly, life starts moving faster for the narrator - the story weaves together the parallel tales of his life, his wealthy and mysterious neighbor Menshiki, and Amada, each defined by the broken relationships in their lives. The narrator uses his art as a means of sorting out these issues, and explores how Amada may have done the same.
I like the subtlety of this book. The narrator is hurt by losing his wife, but doesn’t really understand his own emotions. We dive deep on his thoughts about art and what it means to him. He recognizes that traditional portraiture isn’t the stuff of modern artistic legends; he values his work, while still wondering about doing more avant-garde pieces. The magical elements of the story are reined in just enough to keep them from being overwhelming. The characters often seem unrealistic - dialog isn’t natural, plot points can be logically ridiculous, some characters (especially a key 13 year old girl) seem contrived. I don’t think these are dealbreakers for enjoyment. The novel defines a world that isn’t exactly ours, and it works on its own terms.
In this installment, a portrait artist separates from his wife and moves in to the isolated house of an elderly artist, Tomohiko Amada, currently hospitalized with dementia (“he doesn’t know the difference between an opera and a frying pan”). The nameless narrator decides to buckle down and rededicate himself to art. He has a rough time of it, until he discovers a previously unknown painting from the famous former resident. Suddenly, life starts moving faster for the narrator - the story weaves together the parallel tales of his life, his wealthy and mysterious neighbor Menshiki, and Amada, each defined by the broken relationships in their lives. The narrator uses his art as a means of sorting out these issues, and explores how Amada may have done the same.
I like the subtlety of this book. The narrator is hurt by losing his wife, but doesn’t really understand his own emotions. We dive deep on his thoughts about art and what it means to him. He recognizes that traditional portraiture isn’t the stuff of modern artistic legends; he values his work, while still wondering about doing more avant-garde pieces. The magical elements of the story are reined in just enough to keep them from being overwhelming. The characters often seem unrealistic - dialog isn’t natural, plot points can be logically ridiculous, some characters (especially a key 13 year old girl) seem contrived. I don’t think these are dealbreakers for enjoyment. The novel defines a world that isn’t exactly ours, and it works on its own terms.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated