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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I feel like I've been reading this forever and am surprised its only been 8 days. It dragged on and was very repetitive. I probably would have abandoned it if it wasn't Murakami. Murakami does so many things that should be annoying, but somehow usually aren't. For some reason here, a little of the normal magic was missing and those things stood out more - bad sex scenes, bad dialogue, nonsensical actions by main characters, etc. I also just didn't really get the point of everything. The truth about Mariye's disappearance was utterly disappointing. The narrator's relationship with his wife was awful. I didn't really take anything away from this like I normally do with Murakami. I did have an odd unsettled feeling while reading it and time seemed off, even when I wasn't actually reading it. So that weird atmospheric part of his books came through, but something was just missing for me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Killing Commendatore is my first Haruki Murakami book that I have read. I have been told many times that he is definitely one author to read if you want to explore for more own voices and Asian literature.
While I did really enjoy this book, it was also a book that made you feel really uncomfortable with the some of the conversations how unnamed main character would have with the 13 year old girl or how vividly he described sex scenes.
It appears that this particular book seems to be least popular one that Murakami has written. I know a lot of people mentioned how repetitive it is but I actually enjoyed that. I agree with those who mentioned that the biggest flaw is the uncomfortable obsession with breasts and always referring to it or having a conversation about it. Especially the frank discussions with the 13 year old character.
I will give this 4 stars. Perhaps when I read more of Murakami's books I might change the rating.
While I did really enjoy this book, it was also a book that made you feel really uncomfortable with the some of the conversations how unnamed main character would have with the 13 year old girl or how vividly he described sex scenes.
It appears that this particular book seems to be least popular one that Murakami has written. I know a lot of people mentioned how repetitive it is but I actually enjoyed that. I agree with those who mentioned that the biggest flaw is the uncomfortable obsession with breasts and always referring to it or having a conversation about it. Especially the frank discussions with the 13 year old character.
I will give this 4 stars. Perhaps when I read more of Murakami's books I might change the rating.
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
As is always the case with Murakami, the magical realism is fantastically written, with various motifs constantly being reiterated throughout the book, like Menshiki's name, the well, the paintings, the mysterious man with the Honda, the commendatore himself etc.
So many things happen throughout this book, and I understand that it is supposed to be a huge metaphor for rebirth, with the well being representative of a birth canal (think about the picture drawn by our protagonist), but truthfully, the book feels quite bloated at times, though I always appreciate Murakami's prose with its light yet reflective quality.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the book, but I felt like it was just a bit too draggy and bloated, which I suppose, is always the case with Murakami.
So many things happen throughout this book, and I understand that it is supposed to be a huge metaphor for rebirth, with the well being representative of a birth canal (think about the picture drawn by our protagonist), but truthfully, the book feels quite bloated at times, though I always appreciate Murakami's prose with its light yet reflective quality.
Ultimately, I did enjoy the book, but I felt like it was just a bit too draggy and bloated, which I suppose, is always the case with Murakami.
dnf about 3/4 through just too boring and no plot that resonates with you or makes sense. i put this on audible to go to sleep
This was a pretty relaxing book to read. Murakami has a general structure of a gradual buildup of small mysteries or coincidences that culminate in a character's descent into the otherworld, and this book was no different. Instead of being annoyed that the book followed this pattern, I found it comforting--am I becoming a lazy reader?
The main character is a painter who separates from his wife and retreats to a mountain home to paint. The amount of uninterrupted free time the main character had was staggering, enough to cause me envy, despite the fact that I do have lots of free time (just constrained by a small child, which hampers my imagination). Like other Murakami books, there was lots of mention of classical music, pasta, fancy cars, and breasts. There was also some weird sex scenes--weird both in their contexts and their level of detachment. Despite the mention of breasts with every female character, I found myself enjoying the almost clinical recounting of strange occurrences. I loved how the details of the main character's daily life contrasted with his discoveries. His journey to the otherworld was really a spiritual journey where he confronted his own fears and desires.
The main character is a painter who separates from his wife and retreats to a mountain home to paint. The amount of uninterrupted free time the main character had was staggering, enough to cause me envy, despite the fact that I do have lots of free time (just constrained by a small child, which hampers my imagination). Like other Murakami books, there was lots of mention of classical music, pasta, fancy cars, and breasts. There was also some weird sex scenes--weird both in their contexts and their level of detachment. Despite the mention of breasts with every female character, I found myself enjoying the almost clinical recounting of strange occurrences. I loved how the details of the main character's daily life contrasted with his discoveries. His journey to the otherworld was really a spiritual journey where he confronted his own fears and desires.