A review by joshuabushen
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami

5.0

The best Murakami book I've read since reading my favourite, Norwegian Wood, in 2019. My only gripe with this book is that it can be incredibly slow paced at times. Other than that, Murakami's classic blend of cool contemporary fiction and magical realism is here, and its a joy to read. Little 2ft tall men appear out of paintings, people sit in holes in the ground for indiscernible reasons, and somehow it's all linked to war (specifically the Second World War). Through a series of sometimes bizarre, funny, frightening, heartwarming, and bewildering events our unnamed protagonist learns about the life of a legendary Japanese painter and why he made a decision to change his style of painting and his life as a whole after an experience in Vienna during the height of WWII. Meanwhile the protagonist goes on a journey of self-actualization triggered by a request to paint a portait of the mysterious Mr. Menshiki, who lives in the white mansion across the valley.

A must read for any Murakami fan

9.4/10