ryebread225's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
what is with the obsession with breasts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Suicide
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, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Suicide, War, and Rape
Minor: Abortion
crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Rape, and Sexual content
m_delaney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
theprimalcollective's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Beautiful story with fantastical aspects, with a unique take on the world. Knocked half a star off for the following reason: I think he should have revisited the faceless spector scene from the start of the story, showing the main character finishing his portrait. He really did an excellent job of 'closing the circle' except for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
wellreadmed's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Suicide
Minor: Domestic abuse
kkmk's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
alexchig's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, and Sexual content
georgiarybanks's review
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: Confinement, Child death, and Rape
nimra's review
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: Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Confinement