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A review by justinkhchen
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
4.0
4 stars
The overall experience of reading Killing Commendatore, for someone who has been a fan of Murakami's past work, would be like slipping into a well-loved sweater—familiar and cozy.
There are a lot of returning elements: male protagonist in his mid-30s, detailed passage about cooking, specific music references (you can easily generate a Spotify playlist from his novels), and explicit, yet lyrical depiction of sex. I actually appreciate these recycled motifs as they act as security blanket of sort—creating a familiar foundation for the more fantastical elements.
This is definitely a more leisurely-paced Murakami novel, which I enjoy in parts, particularly the first portion with all the portrait sessions. Though repetitive as a narrative device, it remains a joy to read because the characters get opportunities to develop, and lot of intriguing subject matters (such as the concept of reality) get brought up and discussed. However, when the narrative shifts in its last third, from a contemplative character studies, to a more magic-laden fantasy, the pacing sometimes lacks punch, and the story feels like it's losing steam, when it should be at its surrealist peak.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Killing Commendatore—at this point of Haruki Murakami's writing career, he has developed a consistent style/story universe that his fanbase will recognize and feel nostalgic to dive into, at the same time adorned it with fully-realized new ideas. Aside from the aforementioned pacing issue. This is Murakami in his top form.
The overall experience of reading Killing Commendatore, for someone who has been a fan of Murakami's past work, would be like slipping into a well-loved sweater—familiar and cozy.
There are a lot of returning elements: male protagonist in his mid-30s, detailed passage about cooking, specific music references (you can easily generate a Spotify playlist from his novels), and explicit, yet lyrical depiction of sex. I actually appreciate these recycled motifs as they act as security blanket of sort—creating a familiar foundation for the more fantastical elements.
This is definitely a more leisurely-paced Murakami novel, which I enjoy in parts, particularly the first portion with all the portrait sessions. Though repetitive as a narrative device, it remains a joy to read because the characters get opportunities to develop, and lot of intriguing subject matters (such as the concept of reality) get brought up and discussed. However, when the narrative shifts in its last third, from a contemplative character studies, to a more magic-laden fantasy, the pacing sometimes lacks punch, and the story feels like it's losing steam, when it should be at its surrealist peak.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Killing Commendatore—at this point of Haruki Murakami's writing career, he has developed a consistent style/story universe that his fanbase will recognize and feel nostalgic to dive into, at the same time adorned it with fully-realized new ideas. Aside from the aforementioned pacing issue. This is Murakami in his top form.