> Skip to content

Article  •  3 September 2018

 

5 things to know about Haruki Murakami's Killing Commendatore

All you need to know about Killing Commendatore, the hotly anticipated new novel by Haruki Murakami.

1. Haruki Murakami’s new novel, Killing Commendatore, will be published in NZ in October 2018.

2. The novel is a two-part story in one volume – Part 1: The Idea Made Visible and Part 2: The Shifting Metaphor.

3. The novel is centred on art and its creation. The story centres on a painter dealing with his separation from his wife. He goes to stay in a famous artist’s house and discovers a mysterious painting in the attic that shares the book’s title.

4. The subject of this painting is a scene from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, showing the killing of Donna Anna’s father (Il Commendatore, the captain of a group of knights) by Don Giovanni, but set in 7th-century Japan and painted in a traditional style.

5. Murakami’s stories vary widely in tone and style. This haunting and multi-layered novel is reminiscent of his masterpiece, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, and takes his narrative art in new and exciting directions.

Feature Title

Killing Commendatore

The latest bewitching, kaleidoscopic novel from master storyteller Haruki Murakami, author of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84

Read more

More features

See all
Article
On design: Killing Commendatore

Suzanne Dean, creative director at Vintage, shares the creative process for designing the cover for Haruki Murakami’s latest novel.

Article
QUIZ: Which Murakami book should you start with?

Never read Murakami and wondering where to begin? Take this fun quiz to figure out which book you should read first.

Q&A
First Person Singular cover design Q&A

Vintage Creative Director Suzanne Dean and artist Lena Peters on circles, Murakami and monkeys.

Article
15 of the best vampire books to add to your TBR

Discover some of the best vampire books – from paranormal to gothic and beyond.

Article
10 debut authors share where the ideas for their first novels came from

Learn about the inspiration behind debut authors’ first novels.

Article
Calling all Lottie Brooks fans!

Do you know a young reader who loves the Lottie Brooks series? We want to hear from them!

Article
Project Hail Mary giveaway!

Enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 double passes and the FTI edition of Project Hail Mary! Coming to cinemas on the 19th of March.

Article
Jacinda Ardern to appear at NZ writers festival events

Penguin Random House is delighted to announce that Jacinda Ardern will be doing three book events in New Zealand in April and May.

Article
Books for reluctant readers post-Percy Jackson

They've closed the final Percy Jackson book. Now what?

Article
The best graphic novels for reluctant readers

Graphic novels are the perfect way to get disinterested readers to pick up a book.

Article
Books to keep older kids entertained this Easter long weekend

Easter is coming up, and once the novelty of chocolate wears off, older kids still need something to sink their teeth into.

Article
NZ Booklovers Awards Shortlist 2026

See the Penguin Random House NZ books shortlisted for the 2026 NZ Booklovers Awards

Looking for more articles?

See all articles