Reviews tagging 'Death'

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

13 reviews

softbooknerd's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Death

Minor: Death of parent

deryakevs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I only got what game Ishiguro did literally at the last few pages of the book. Also a few scenes had me in shock (in a horrifying way).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Mental illness

risemini's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Grief, Misogyny, Suicide, War, Child death, Death, and Death of parent

threeundertwopnw's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A maddening read at times, as the characters talk a lot without really saying anything. Yet a lot of life in post-war Japan is covered through their stories. Includes a big plot twist that I guessed early on. Fascinating immersive read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Child death, Classism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Death, Suicide, and War

justinlewry's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Mrs Fujiwara always tells me how important it is to keep looking forward. And she’s right. If people didn’t do that,  all of this-I pointed again at the view-all this would still be rubble.

This story is quite deceptive. I questioned the purpose of the narrative for much of the book. On its surface it appears that we are moving between two unrelated periods in our protagonist's life, however in a brief but revelatory moment, it becomes clear that much of what we have been presented has not been entirely true. I believe that Etsuko and her friend Sachiko are one and the same, and that the present day Etsuko has inserted herself into her memories to be the voice of reason and challenge her rationale of the past. Etsuko feels responsible for her daughter's suicide, and the enormity of this weighs heavily in such subtle ways- like it is always bubbling under the surface. 
I found the writing style to extremely atmospheric and enjoyed my time with this book very much. I feel that it would be even better upon repeat readings as I would notice more of the breadcrumbs which first seemed insignificant. I am very curious to read more from this author, particularly as I've heard that his other books are all wildly different. 
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and War

a_epistemological_crisis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief and Suicide

Minor: Death, Suicide, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty

cordeliamartin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Grief, Violence, and War

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Death, Abandonment, and Alcohol

kstericker's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment

Minor: War and Domestic abuse

emmacb's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Having tried to read another book by this author and sort of lost interest halfway through, I didn't have high hopes but wanted to give a celebrated writer another shot! I enjoyed this book, but would have liked to learn more about some of the events in the story. 
I know the focus is on the characters recollection of past events, but I still would have liked to know more about

what happened with her and her husband in Japan, then in America and how that affected her daughter,

rather than leaving it completely unresolved for the reader 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Animal cruelty, Sexism, and Death

Minor: Murder

Brief mention of infanticide

sketchydelusion's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Sexism, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, War, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Classism, Death, and Colonisation