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…
I like the idea of a normal, mundane life suddenly turning into a magical adventure. If I pay close attention to my life—it is magical. I’m just too used to it to appreciate it. Why can’t the painting over our piano come to life? Where are the secret passageways to the unknown?
For me, those passageways are in books, where anything is possible.
Like many of Murakami's novels, Killing
Commendatore seamlessly blends conventional narrative with surrealism to
create a compelling tale of the artistic process, friendship, and heroic
rescue.
The book is one of his longer works and for me it was a delicious
voyage into his unusual world. If you are new to Murakami, this book may not be
the best place to start (consider Kafka on the Shore), but for fans of
the author like me, it provides a deep dive into his unique exploration of
humanity and reality, one from which I only reluctantly emerged after I turned
the…
A retired English teacher has come home to Appalachia, a land of industrial disaster and natural beauty. He has been enticed with stories of Wildcat’s transformation: of the collective action embodied in Hotel Wildcat as well as the artisanal pursuits springing to life in the old iron mill. But in returning, he must confront his dark memories: the lost love of his hippie chic girlfriend not to mention the lost trust between his middle-class family and working-class Wildcat.
Written in the lyrical grit so characteristic of America’s Rust Belt, Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance is a testament to the redemptive potential…
Journey into Appalachia's Heart: Love, Loss, and the Resilience of a Forgotten Land
Discover the captivating allure of the Appalachian region as Jeffrey Dunn skillfully weaves a tale of love, loss, and redemption in his exquisitely crafted literary fiction masterpiece, Wildcat: An Appalachian Romance. Immerse yourself in the depths of the rust belt's rugged landscapes, where the echoes of industrial disaster intertwine with the sublime beauty of nature, all while the characters navigate the delicate dance between past and future.
In this poignant narrative, our protagonist, a retired English teacher, returns to his roots, lured back to the once-shuttered Hotel…
This book plays hide and seek with reality. You’re never a hundred percent sure if you’re in the normal mundane world or the world of magic and danger. The story moves swiftly and compellingly between worlds and raises questions about what we can and cannot believe in.
Some parts seem like drug trips gone wrong and others like the comfort and assurance of close relationships no matter how long they’ve lasted.
Murakami is a master at juggling worlds in such a way that sometimes the fantasy worlds are more real than the actual worlds.
