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Killing Commendatore

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Killing Commendatore

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami, read by Kirby Heyborne.

The epic new novel from the internationally acclaimed and best-selling author of 1Q84.

In Killing Commendatore, a thirty-something portrait painter in Tokyo is abandoned by his wife and finds himself holed up in the mountain home of a famous artist, Tomohiko Amada. When he discovers a strange painting in the attic, he unintentionally opens a circle of mysterious circumstances. To close it, he must complete a journey that involves a mysterious ringing bell, a two-foot-high physical manifestation of an Idea, a dapper businessman who lives across the valley, a precocious thirteen-year-old girl, a Nazi assassination attempt during World War II in Vienna, a pit in the woods behind the artist’s home, and an underworld haunted by Double Metaphors.

A tour de force of love and loneliness, war and art – as well as a loving homage to The Great Gatsby – Killing Commendatore is a stunning work of imagination from one of our greatest writers.

2019, The Kitschies Inky Tentacle, Winner

©2018 Haruki Murakami (P)2018 Random House Audiobooks Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Small Town & Rural World Literature Magic Mind-bending

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All stars
Most relevant
I love Murakami and his stories. Gotta stick with this one, but it's beautifully written

a complex and unfolding storyline

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Classic Murakami that just doesn't disappoint in any way. Stunningly good narration by Kirby Heyborne.

A great story...

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This book is very Murakami but in too many of the irritating ways and too few of the brilliant ways.

Don't get me wrong it's by no stretch a terrible book but the payoff from almost 30 hours of listening is pretty disappointing. But no doubt, as with most of Murakami's novels, if a central idea grabs you then it will be easy to fall in love with it. For me unfortunately too much fell flat, just like the chests of prepubescent girls he seemed oddly intent on describing.

If you're considering this as your first foray into Murakami, I'd suggest starting elsewhere.

No complaints on narration, Kirby Heyborn did a great job with the material.

Love Murakami but not this one

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A much welcomed return to Murakami’s engrossing and compelling alternate reality. However I did find the naration too slow and tedious to the extent that I was unable to keep focussed on the book. So I tried increasing the playback speed to x1.25 and found this was enough to keep my mind from wandering!

Classic Murakami with poor naration

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a long story for a simple message, lots of storylines which come together in the end.

suitably strange gentle narrative

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