I only gave this four stars because it is far from Murakami’s best. I think he has got to the point where editors are afraid to say to him (Mr Murakami, this bit is boring, or too long) the core of the story is interesting, most of the characters are interesting, but it was way to long for the amount of action in it. I longed for something to happen. ( )

The book sticks with you and the main character is satisfying, but there are some Murakami cliches that are distracting and some of the female characters are not as complete as the male ones.

Overall there is something pretty amazing about how he holds you interested in a story largely left incomplete and missing of wrap-up resolutions. ( )

This is a remarkable and wonderful novel, as could be said about a number of this author's books. Murakami is creative in ways I have seen in few other writers. This book has several issues running throughout. His treatment of them is, or approaches, masterful. What is the nature of relationships between spouses? What does it mean to be a possible parent? What is art, or what are some extensions of the artist's craft? Can an artist have different periods of her/his work; are those periods caused by outside influences? What is truth? There are other issues. Read this book! ( )

Very slow paced but wierdly still extremely addicting. I think the rythm of the narration made it feel like a true story, even if most of the events are of a "paranormal" nature.
Murakami manages to immerge the reader into the Japanese world, even though Killing Commendatore does not have as many cultural references as other of his works.
It is always very pleasant to experience his writing, it is calming and unnerving at the same time. ( )

Killing Commendatore is about.a journeyman portrait painter whose wife kicks him out. He goes on a long tour to clear his mind and then ends up renting a house in the mountains owned by Tomohiko, a famous Japanese traditional artist now in aged care.

Shortly after driving, he is offered a fabulous amount of money to paint the portrait of his neighbour, Menshiki, a Gatsbyesque figure who has a fortune that nobody quite knows the source of, and lives by himself in a vast mansion nearby.

The painter discovers a lost work.by Tomohiko in the attic, a Western-style painting called Killing Commendatore, depicting a scene from the opera Don Giovanni. He keeps this find to himself but starts to obsess about its meaning and its connection to Tomohiko’s obscure past.

In the early hours of the morning, he hears a strange sound of bell-ringing, which he traces to a nearby shrine. With Menshiki’s help, the shrine is excavated and an old bell is found in a deep hole there. This discovery leads the painter into even greater mystery. Menshiki also discloses the reason why he lives alone in his mansion, and enlists the painter’s aid in a personal affair.

While there are clear parallels with Gatsby, Murakami’s story takes a turn for the seriously weird in the last quarter of it. It reminded me of the last act of 2001, with the author laying out metaphors and allegories that I found myself struggling to understand, but still admiring the author’s imagination and craft. Curiously, this colossal novel does not have that much at in the way of plot, yet it never drags or outstays it’s welcome. ( )