Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
Killing Commendatore is a story narrated by an unnamed protagonist that starts when he is divorced by his wife of six years. As a result, he leaves his home and wanders around Tokyo for months before ending up in an isolated house located at the top of the mountains. This house belongs to a famous Japanese artist who now lives in a nursing home and thus his son, the narrator’s friend, offers the house to him.
While living there he discovers a painting, carefully hidden in the attic, supposedly by the owner of the house. This painting intrigues him and captures him intently. He also comes across a neighbor, who is mysterious and inscrutable.
One day, in the middle of the night, he wakes up to the sound of the bell, ringing faintly in the distance. He traces the source of the sound to a stone-covered pit located in the woods near the house. With the help of his mysterious neighbor, they uncover the pit. And thus begins a bizarre journey that transcends reality. It takes the narrator through numerous self-realizations, connecting past, present, and the future.
How did it make me feel?
For the first time in my life, I am confused about whether I like a book or not. This was my first Murakami read, which I now realize may have been a mistake because Murakami lovers usually don’t recommend Killing Commendatore as a first read. Nevertheless, I LOVED the first half of the books. It felt as though I was not reading, rather the narrator was sitting in front of me, talking to me. It was deep yet so simple, clean and raw. I also loved the humor. So subtle yet so relatable and witty. But as the book progresses, it becomes difficult to capture the purpose of this entire work. It touches on so many facets of life yet leaves the interpretation hollow. Too many questions unanswered.
I am planning to read one more from Murakami. I feel like either I am going to absolutely love this author or I will never pick up his book again! For now, though, I cannot decide. If you are in for a unique reading experience, click here to get your own copy. If you use my link to buy, I may get a small commission which will help me keep my blog running! 🙂 Thank you for your support!
Have you read Killing Commendatore? Let me know in the comments below!
I think murakami’s magic is you don’t know if you like it or not. I have only read Norwegian wood and I still can’t figure out how I feel about it. It wasn’t a happy story, great writing, but also not writing that is clear about what the point is or what’s happening or anything. It’s this strange magic that is puzzling but the fact I still remember and feel that way a year after reading the book- maybe he’s doing something right?? Is memorable/confusing better like liking and forgetting a book/how it makes you feel entirely?
I relate to this so much even if this is his only work that I’ve read, yet. I am planning to read two more of his books to figure out how I feel about his writing 😀 Norwegian Wood is next on my list!