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mayameii's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I love Murakami's writing style and concepts. This story felt like it was going somewhere but the ending didn't feel like a conclusion. Maybe there is a deeper meaning to all of this. If that's the case, I didn't understand the message. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Child death
fkshg8465's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Weird and slightly disturbing, but I think that was the point of the self reflective journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
bella613's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book, but to be honest, after finishing it I still can’t really explain what it was about. I can remember all the pieces and how it made me feel, but it’s very difficult to put any real name to what the book is. A summary of events that happen makes it sound like a silly story and yet it’s strangely powerful. I think it’s meant to be like a great painting, one that you have to let sink in for a long time. Some parts of the book go into almost uncomfortable detail but the descriptions are also what I loved most about the authors writing. Clearly the work of an artist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Sexual violence, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Genocide, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, and War
frankahilde's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Killing commentatore is a beautiful book. It reminds me a lot of the wind up bird chronicles because it has a lot of similar motives (a dreamworld colliding with reality, a middle aged man left abruptly by his wife not really knowing what to do with his life, that man having a strange friendship with a young teenage girl, a house that is much more than that and sitting for hours in a dark confined space under the earth with only one other person knowing) But I really did prefer Killing Commendatore. Maybe because I am an artist as well, the topic of paintings and their meaning really fascinated me. I only think that the book was a little bit too long and could have been shortened at some points.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Suicide, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Abortion
elioreadsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Pedophilia
hannahblundell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Sexual assault
georgiarybanks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Confinement, and Rape
nimra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a portrait artist sets out for a journey in his car after getting divorced and gets settled in his friend Masahiko's dad and famous artist, Tomohiko Amada's isolated house on a mountain. Soon he finds himself invested in the history of this house and Tomohiko Amada, so sucked in the mystery of it all that it's too late to get out. the book follows him on his day to day solitary routine and development of his character as he starts unveiling secrets about the house and it's inhabitant.
if i were to categorise this book in genre, i couldn't have because it contains so many elements from different genres; at times it was a horror, definitely a historical fiction and absolutely a work of magical realism.
these 681 pages were a true journey and one that i am grateful to have taken.
the only thing i would have appreciated more would have been some closure of Mr. Menshiki's life.
now i am all here for an open ending but a detailed exploration of Menshiki's character would've been amazing since there was too much suspense built around him and i was anticipating it, other than that though, i don't think i have another complain with this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Dementia
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Confinement
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