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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Onwaarschijnlijk dat ik deze score geef voor een boek van Ishiguro. Ik ben zot van Ishiguro!! Maar ik werd onnozel van dit boek. Enorm frustrerend om te lezen.
Ik vermoed in alle bescheidenheid wel wat Ishiguro hier probeert te doen en hij doet dat ongetwijfeld ook bijzonder knap. Maar dit lees ik gewoon niet graag. Een verhaal mag meanderen of nergens naartoe gaan, absoluut. Maar dan wil ik dat niet merken of het op zijn minst niet aantrekken dat dat gebeurt.
Neeje, tegenvaller.
1 ster, 1. Mannekes toch.
Ik vermoed in alle bescheidenheid wel wat Ishiguro hier probeert te doen en hij doet dat ongetwijfeld ook bijzonder knap. Maar dit lees ik gewoon niet graag. Een verhaal mag meanderen of nergens naartoe gaan, absoluut. Maar dan wil ik dat niet merken of het op zijn minst niet aantrekken dat dat gebeurt.
Neeje, tegenvaller.
1 ster, 1. Mannekes toch.
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro. 535 pages of randomness, long car journeys that end up in one place, that happens to be connected by a door to the place you have just left, wandering off on a photo shoot while your son eats cheesecake in a cafe, swinging wildly between fury and tenderness for his mother and being drawn almost bizarrely in peoples lives as you come across them. A “Study of a man whose life has accelerated beyond his control” The Unconsoled is the most confusing book I have ever read, but as the end left me, indeed, Unconsoled, perhaps it’s brilliance is to brilliant for me to see..
The Unconsoled is ingenious. The story is a journey without a destination, and simply that: a journey. It feels almost like your mind is wandering as you read it, but Ishiguro is in control of the direction of your thoughts. I find the method in which he made the entire novel in the flow of a dream to be enchanting. Once I was immersed, in the dream, it became my own. Of course not without a level of critique in my own thoughts. For instance, oftentimes, Ryder made me quite angry. Whenever he could never seem to speak to Boris or properly communicate, I could feel the desperation in Ryder rise in myself. That is what also makes this work by Ishiguro so special and touching in some sense. The story became almost a personal experience, to wander into someone else's dream and experience similar emotions in reaction to the character's own. I highly recommend this book, also as an exploration into delving into a narrative that really has no destination. Normally I would feel quite dissatisfied but in this case, I felt almost as content as Ryder, preparing for his next trip.
3.5. This is a book for people who think David Lynch is profound, which is to say, not me. I already know that everyone's sad and frustrated and confused. You're not a genius for pointing that out. But structurally, a very interesting book. Ishiguro's technique is masterful, but I really don't care about what the book is trying to get at. If he weren't such a skilled writer, I'd be mad that I finished the whole thing, but it was more rewarding than a book written by a lesser author would be.
Oh my goodness highly recommend. Probably one of Ishiguro’s most ambitious, intricate and mind-bending novels. So so moving and heartbreaking. Read if you love Ishiguro and contemplations on the nature of memory and personal relationships. Avoid if you dislike stream of consciousness and dream logic.
challenging
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Such a fantastic dream. You're never quite sure what's going on and at times it induces anxiety, but it is so wonderfully written that you don't mind. The trick ideas to find the irony and the humor, that's the only way to get through the book.
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read like an extended stress nightmare, never want to read it again. But also it kind of wormed its way into my brain while I was reading it? Provides lots of room for analysis, I think.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes