Scan barcode
qiaorui's review against another edition
4.0
Masuji Ono, the retired painter protagonist of Ishiguro's wonderful read, is trying hard to come on terms with his pre-war past. Will he succeed in transforming himself? And what do others, especially the younger generation, really think of him?
Japan's social transition after WWII is central to this book, but as the author writes in the preface, it is not exclusively about Japan nor even so, apparently, in the first place.
Admitting wrong after many years can be hard. Especially when a whole nation had seemed to be on your side. Especially when a foreign power has now taken over all sovereignty. Almost all countries have faces similar shifts in national identity, small or large, after slowly coming on terms with the egregious deeds committed in the name of the nation, an ideology, a religion, economic security, an emperor..
Should previous actions be reassessed as wrong, or can they still be remembered as worthy because taken for the good of the nation? At least some change is necessary, most will admit. But are they all necessary, and are we careful enough not to throw away the baby with the bathwater?
Those who ask these questions are not popular, their approach to past deeds not deemed radical enough. A new generation has taken over, with new morals (and international law backing them), and want to reinvent the national identity so past tragedies can never happen again.
The protagonist finds solace from these and other nagging questions in the 'floating world' (ukiyo), the vibrant nightlife with its ambient lantern lighting, alcoholic intoxication, singing and dancing, and a transient feeling of happiness. This way of life Ono had learned from masters before him, and has passed on to pupils of his own. It is amazing how well Ishiguro has steeped the whole book, not just these passages, in this floating mystification. Now, befitting his own age, the local pleasure district Ono still frequents has seen better days in the past, and his floating world is more nostalgic than ever.
Japan's social transition after WWII is central to this book, but as the author writes in the preface, it is not exclusively about Japan nor even so, apparently, in the first place.
Admitting wrong after many years can be hard. Especially when a whole nation had seemed to be on your side. Especially when a foreign power has now taken over all sovereignty. Almost all countries have faces similar shifts in national identity, small or large, after slowly coming on terms with the egregious deeds committed in the name of the nation, an ideology, a religion, economic security, an emperor..
Should previous actions be reassessed as wrong, or can they still be remembered as worthy because taken for the good of the nation? At least some change is necessary, most will admit. But are they all necessary, and are we careful enough not to throw away the baby with the bathwater?
Those who ask these questions are not popular, their approach to past deeds not deemed radical enough. A new generation has taken over, with new morals (and international law backing them), and want to reinvent the national identity so past tragedies can never happen again.
The protagonist finds solace from these and other nagging questions in the 'floating world' (ukiyo), the vibrant nightlife with its ambient lantern lighting, alcoholic intoxication, singing and dancing, and a transient feeling of happiness. This way of life Ono had learned from masters before him, and has passed on to pupils of his own. It is amazing how well Ishiguro has steeped the whole book, not just these passages, in this floating mystification. Now, befitting his own age, the local pleasure district Ono still frequents has seen better days in the past, and his floating world is more nostalgic than ever.
diane_nospraka's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Un artista del mundo flotante del autor japonés galardonado con el Premio Nobel de Literatura 2017 es una novela post-guerra en Japón. Tiene cuatro secciones de acuerdo con las fechas de octubre 1948, abril 1949, noviembre 1949 y junio 1950. Masuji Ono, pintor de renombre, narra cómo consiguió la propiedad de Akira Sugimura gracias a su reconocimiento por su labor artística. Ono tiene dos hijas, Setsuko quien está casada con Suichi y tienen un hijo, Ichiro. Noriko, la otra hija, sigue soltera mientras su padre y hermana se preparan para concertar una cita con la familia de Taro y concretar la celebración del matrimonio. Los recuerdos de Ono vienen cuando éste se encuentra al lado de su familia, memorias de su juventud e inicio como alumno de Mori-San y el hecho de abandonarlo para no seguir con la costumbre de pintar al ‘mundo flotante’, es decir, los lugares de placer, de las geishas y las bebidas alcohólicas. Algunas obras de Ono reflejan la dolorosa realidad de la guerra, la opresión y la pobreza resultado de la primera. El encuentro con personajes de su pasado se lleva a cabo como consecuencia de los preparativos para el matrimonio de Noriko; así es como tiene noticias de Kuroda, uno de su pupilos quien en el presente enfrenta una grave acusación; Matsuda, uno de sus compañeros quien ahora está muy enfermo; la señora Kawakami, dueña del bar frecuentado por el grupo de amigos, testigo del cambio en el barrio en cuanto a modernas construcciones y está a punto de tomar una decisión en cuanto a su propiedad; el doctor Saito, vecino de Ono, de quien está seguro de haberlo conocido hace bastante tiempo, por esto tiene una discusión con Setsuko quien afirma su padre y el doctor se conocen hace poco. La relación de Ono y su nieto Ichiro muestra el contraste del nacionalismo por parte de Ono y la influencia de los extranjeros porque Ichiro es fanático de héroes norteamericanos como Popeye y el Llanero Solitario. A pesar de eso, Ono reconoce en su nieto rasgos particulares de su hijo caído en la guerra. Un libro más de Ishiguro; sin embargo, no es de mis favoritos. Recomendable para lectores quienes amen la ficción histórica particularmente posguerra.
whitneysederberg's review against another edition
5.0
just so excellent! my favorite of Ishiguro's so far.
naturally i was a bit hesitant to read a pov from japan post ww2, but this book was great and i found it to be very interesting. the narrator is dislikeable and a bit unreliable, and his faults and hesitancy to change are slowly revealed over Ishiguro's mastery of dialogue and social interactions.
naturally i was a bit hesitant to read a pov from japan post ww2, but this book was great and i found it to be very interesting. the narrator is dislikeable and a bit unreliable, and his faults and hesitancy to change are slowly revealed over Ishiguro's mastery of dialogue and social interactions.
ssann's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dellaposta's review against another edition
5.0
Very much of-a-piece with Ishiguro’s next novel, The Remains of the Day (which I loved just slightly less than this one). Both revolve around unreliable narrators who elliptically address their troubled pasts from the perspective of a bewildering post-WWII atmosphere. For Ishiguro, all of our memories live in a “floating world” — one that changes shapes, is impossible to truly grasp, and is prone to vanish at any moment. The novel is kind of like that too. Every time you think you have it figured out, Ishiguro has another curveball to (very artfully) throw at you. He is probably the best contemporary novelist I’ve read and this book would be a great starting point for uninitiated readers.
mdayan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
woodpusher's review against another edition
3.0
Un excelente paseo por las disquisiciones del artista en torno a su responsabilidad histórica y familiar, el devenir y los cambios del entorno y del espíritu. Con el tono adecuado y las palabras justas el texto provocará en algunos lectores las ansias por echar una mirada retrospectiva a los motivos y procederes de la conducta propia y hacia una posible liberación. Para reflexionar de manera íntima y silenciosa.
idkvale's review against another edition
4.0
post-war japan through the lenses of the not-so-likeable protagonist, who once painted propaganda for the japanese regime. ishiguro’s writing is so beautiful and created the perfect atmosphere for the story. i cried at the last line of the novel.
hyrshe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
mollybrabham's review against another edition
4.0
beautiful read. the intertwining narratives of past and present create a story very reminiscent of the comforts of talking to grandparents.