Killing Commendatore

by Haruki Murakami

On a surface level, Killing Commendatore is a story about a young painter during a separation from his wife of six years. He takes refuge in the house of a famous painter on a secluded mountain. Deeper down, it explores themes of isolation, one’s search for meaning, and the impact of ideas, memories, dreams, and spirits on the real world.

Characters are described in-depth, to the point where it is almost like looking at a series of portraits that the artist is painting, which adds to the parallel-driven sub-text.

Pivotal characters are Menshiki, whose name characters spell ‘avoidance of color’ and ‘to cross a river.’ I took this to mean that he was a metaphorical canvas for the artist. And Mariye, a quiet thirteen-year-old girl whom the artist often compares to his sister around the age of her death. There is also a spirit whom the artist calls the Commendatore, after one of the characters in the painting he discovers in the attic. Commendatore is more mysterious than the rest, but that is to be expected of a spirit.

There are many symbols in the book as well. Crows, almost like marks of a giant paintbrush. Holes, wind, an owl, a pit, a bell, a white Subaru, etc. You can view these from various perspectives.

The reader gets a taste of contemporary Japan. The story is simple though the meanings are deeper; there’s plenty to think about when not reading. There are different layers to each of the characters. All these points are positives to me.

Listening to this audiobook was a true pleasure. I would look forward to doing dishes or going for a run because I could pop my headphones in and discover the next part of Murakami’s story.

Killing Commendatore was my first Murakami novel. I very much liked it, and now I have the pleasure of looking forward to the next. Those who enjoy contemporary fiction and thoughtful story-telling will also enjoy this book. It’s no shorty though, be sure to have plenty of dirty dishes on hand!

What did you think of Killing Commendatore? Did you read another of Murakami’s books? Please leave a comment.