The Death of the Commander by Haruki Murakami

Review of the book “The Death of the Commander” by Haruki Murakami

(Novel – 2 books)

What is behind The Death of the Commander, the mysterious painting that the protagonist of Haruki Murakami’s new novel finds in the attic of an isolated house? What relationship does it have with Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, with a shy teenager and with a famous painter? These are some of the questions that I will try to answer in this article, where I will analyze the first part of this fascinating work by the Japanese author.

The Death of the Commander is a novel divided into two volumes, published in 2017 and 2018 respectively. In it, Murakami introduces us to an unnamed narrator, an artist who dedicates himself to making commissioned portraits and who is going through a personal and creative crisis. His wife has asked him for a divorce and he has decided to leave Tokyo and travel around the country aimlessly. Finally, a friend offers him to stay in a house that belonged to his father, Tomohiko Amada, a renowned traditional Japanese style painter who is now admitted to a nursing home for senile dementia.

“The Death of the Commander” is a novel by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami, which tells the story of a painter named Tomohiko Amada, who finds himself at a crossroads in his life and decides to retire to a house in the mountains to dedicate himself to his art. . There, Amada discovers a hidden painting in the attic of the house, which takes him on a journey of self-discovery and mystery.

The novel is divided into two parts, each with two volumes. In the first part, Amada meets a strange character called Menshiki, who commissions a portrait of him and introduces him to a world of mystery and symbolism. In the second part, Amada delves into the painting that she discovered in the house and faces a series of enigmas and dangers.

The house is located in the mountains, near Odawara, and surrounded by forests. There, the protagonist hopes to find the tranquility and inspiration he needs to resume his career. However, he soon discovers that the house hides disturbing secrets. In the attic, he finds a painting wrapped in paper and with a label that says: “The death of the commander.” Upon opening it, he is struck by the scene it depicts: a man dressed as a samurai stabbing another with a sword. The painting seems to be inspired by Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, where the commander is the father of Donna Anna, the woman whom the libertine Don Giovanni tries to seduce.

The protagonist feels a strange attraction to the painting and decides to hang it in his studio. From then on, strange things begin to happen to him: he hears a bell ringing in the middle of the night, sees a face at the bottom of a well, is visited by a mysterious man who commissions a portrait of him, and meets a young woman who looks like have a special connection with the painting. All of this will lead him to enter a world where reality and fantasy intertwine and where he will have to face his own ghosts.

The Death of the Commander is a novel that combines elements of magical realism, psychological thriller and adventure novel. Murakami creates an enveloping and mysterious atmosphere, where art, music, literature and history play a fundamental role. The author explores themes such as loneliness, identity, love, loss and creativity. Furthermore, he makes numerous references to authors such as Kafka, Fitzgerald or Dostoevsky and works such as The Great Gatsby or Crime and Punishment.

The novel also has an autobiographical component, as Murakami was inspired by his own experience as an amateur painter and as an admirer of Mozart. In fact, the author has declared that The Death of the Commander is his most personal work to date.

“The Death of the Commander” is a complex and fascinating novel, which combines elements of mystery literature, philosophy and the exploration of identity. Murakami uses his characteristic narrative style, which combines the real and the surreal, to create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that keeps the reader hooked until the end.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the exploration of creativity and the artistic process. Through Amada’s life, Murakami reflects on the nature of art and its relationship with life and death. Furthermore, the novel highlights the importance of imagination and creativity in our lives, and how these can help us face the challenges and uncertainties of existence.

Murakami’s prose in “The Death of the Commander” is evocative and poetic, and his ability to create complex, believable characters makes the novel an immersive read. Despite its length, the novel reads smoothly and keeps the reader interested in the plot and characters.

In short, “The Death of the Commander” is a fascinating and complex novel that demonstrates Haruki Murakami’s talent for creating imaginative worlds and memorable characters. This novel is a must-read for fans of the author, as well as those interested in the exploration of creativity, identity, and mystery. Through the life of Tomohiko Amada, Murakami invites us to reflect on the nature of art and its relationship with life and death, and how these can help us find meaning and purpose in our lives.