Killing Commendatore

I've finished reading "Killing Commendatore" written by Haruki Murakami. This is one of the most excellent books I've ever read. The concept is close to "The Great Gatsby" written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the endings are completely different. 

The theme is "loss." Most of the main characters lost someone, perhaps which affects readers emotionally, since they have usually lost someone who was important to them. The protagonist lost his sister and his wife, causing his subconscious mental affliction which probably he didn't realize. He was living alone on the mountain, painting pictures there. The protagonist was asked to draw a portrait by a man, Menshiki, who lived near his house. Menshiki also lost Mariye who may be his biological daughter, but no one was sure about that. Mariye didn't know Menshiki might be her father. So, Menshiki never had an opportunity to meet her. The only option he had was to live near Mariye's house and watch her with a binocular. He bought a mansion near Mariye's house. This plot is similar to "The Great Gatsby." Gatsby lived in a mansion because he could see a house where a woman he couldn't forget lived. Mariye also lost her mother. Hornets killed her mother. It is easy to imagine that Mariye was also tormented by her mother's death. The characters described in this story were suffering from their loss. 

The protagonist met Idea which looked like Commendatore drawn in Tomohiko Amada's picture. Only the protagonist and Mariye could see Idea. We can interpret Idea in different ways, but I feel that Idea can be seen by people who are suffering from loss. Idea saved the protagonist and Mariye by making them realize their subconscious mental affliction. When the protagonist was in the world of Idea and Metaphor, he was told that he could never go back to his world without realizing what his important thing was. It was Yuzu, his wife, and his sister. 

In the story of "The Great Gatsby," Gatsby lost his girlfriend twice and passed away. On the other hand, the protagonist of "Killing Commendatore" started his new life with his wife, Yuzu, and Menshiki got opportunities to meet Mariye. Mariye also found her mother's sweater at Menshiki's house, although she didn't realize it. All of them were looking at bright sides. This is exactly the great difference between "Killing Commendatore" and "The Great Gatsby." I feel relieved by the happiness they obtained again.