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hillaryreadseverything's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
neonskylite's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Definitely the weakest of Ishiguro's novels which I think the lack of a strong narrator and switching between perspectives is mainly to blame - Ishiguro shines when he is entirely in one character's mind and gets to unwrap the layers. Without it, I feel like I barely even know these characters. Perhaps this is a point about how without memory you cannot cultivate a rich inner mind most Ishiguro protagonists have, like if Axl and Beatrice had to write an essay without knowing any words. I don't think this was the intention though. Yes I know the boatman is the narrator but he doesn't count except for some authorial intrusions and clearly speaking as narrator only at the final chapter
Only really started enjoying this in Part III - Gawain's First Reverie was literally so beautiful to me despite how dark the subject matter is (which, yet again, I think is because Ishiguro remembers that he's meant to be a first person writer and shows how Gawain is grappling with his sins on a depth that none of the other four in the main party receive) to the point that I looped it to fall asleep to for two nights
Only really started enjoying this in Part III - Gawain's First Reverie was literally so beautiful to me despite how dark the subject matter is (which, yet again, I think is because Ishiguro remembers that he's meant to be a first person writer and shows how Gawain is grappling with his sins on a depth that none of the other four in the main party receive) to the point that I looped it to fall asleep to for two nights
warmrats's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
4.0
“But then again I wonder if what we feel in our hearts today isn't like these raindrops still falling on us from the soaked leaves above, even though the sky itself long stopped raining. I'm wondering if without our memories, there's nothing for it but for our love to fade and die.”
In as far as the great aim of impressing me is concerned - the one aim that all books should strive for IMO, Ishiguru started with a bad foot - I am not much interested in the fantasy genre, even though I liked watching the game of thrones I can't imagine reading and enjoying the book. Buried giant shares much with the Game of thrones at superficial levels - the ancient Europe setting, the knights, the dragons. There is a lot of violence too but most of that occurs in the background for Buried Giant. Ishiguru's work is of course more of a united entity and with lesser twists and turns made in order to shock, Ishiguru obviously doesn't give cool one-liners to his characters like Martin which is second best thing about Game of Thrones (you will in a moment guess the best thing) ... and unfortunately without any naked ladies whatsoever.
Yet despite its fantasy motifs, its themes are literary - memory and trauma. And here Ishiguru plays those themes at levels of collective unconsciousness, a level in writing about which very few authors impress me. How do we deal with hurts done to us by those we are forced to live with? Must we revenge ourselves but revenge will, in its turn, attract revenge. Or shall we forgive? The question then arises if such forgiveness won't be an injustice to victims. Particularly, when victims still live memories of trauma suffered. So, if we are to avoid violence at all costs, the only way is to forget the traumatic experience itself.
These questions can be raised on a number of socio-political themes. Racism, the slave trade (Wole Soyinka wrote essays on forgetting and forgiveness in those contexts), imperial history, the memory of wars, etc. The hatemongers are able to use those traumatic memories to raise themselves to power. Hitler did that. Likes of Trump and Modi have done so in recent times.
"Who knows what will come when quick-tongued men make ancient grievances rhyme with fresh desire for land and conquest?”
There is also a theme of how forgetting and remembering affect love that I won't talk about. It seems to be an exploration that somehow demands simple characters which can make the book boring at times. Perhaps the only time I could say about Ishiguru, but I would have preferred it to be shorter. Though all his books have a tendency of being elusive with what they explore, I particularly won't recommend this one to be your first Ishiguru.
anaabo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
pineconek's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
2.75
I love how eclectic of an author Ishiguro is. I find some of his works brilliant, and others painfully boring. This one ended up in the latter bin.
The beginning was stellar: we follow an elderly couple who live in a village where an omnipresent mist dulls their memories of specific past events. Through this haze, they remember that they have a son who left them (under possibly mysterious circumstances) and decide to set out for his village and visit them.
A point of annoyance quickly arises: the man calls the woman "princess" in every other sentence he utters. This never got less grating.
We follow them on their quest where they meet an Arthurian knight, a mysterious boatman, and hear tales of a she-dragon. This got quite repetitive and stretched out through the bulk of the book.
And then, the last few pages contain a reveal that I won't spoil for you. While the reveal is heartbreaking, the journey ultimately didn't feel like it was worth the destination.
Recommended if you're a fan of Ishiguro's work where most things are unsaid (I'm looking at you, Remains of the Day), enjoy an Arthurian middle England setting, and are in need of a sad fairytale for grown-ups. 2.75 stars on SG rounded up to 3 on GR.
The beginning was stellar: we follow an elderly couple who live in a village where an omnipresent mist dulls their memories of specific past events. Through this haze, they remember that they have a son who left them (under possibly mysterious circumstances) and decide to set out for his village and visit them.
A point of annoyance quickly arises: the man calls the woman "princess" in every other sentence he utters. This never got less grating.
We follow them on their quest where they meet an Arthurian knight, a mysterious boatman, and hear tales of a she-dragon. This got quite repetitive and stretched out through the bulk of the book.
And then, the last few pages contain a reveal that I won't spoil for you. While the reveal is heartbreaking, the journey ultimately didn't feel like it was worth the destination.
Recommended if you're a fan of Ishiguro's work where most things are unsaid (I'm looking at you, Remains of the Day), enjoy an Arthurian middle England setting, and are in need of a sad fairytale for grown-ups. 2.75 stars on SG rounded up to 3 on GR.
katiegilley's review against another edition
5.0
This story is full of ogres, dragons, and pixies – definitely not what I was expecting for my first Kazuo Ishiguro novel! Set in the time of Arthurian legend, Beatrice and Axl are on a quest to their son’s village. It’s a difficult journey not just because of the hazards along the way, but because there is a strange mist over the entire island that causes its inhabitants to lose their memories. Some memories come back in flashes and snippets, but there is this constant cloudiness that suppresses everything. Even within a simple conversation, two people can become so confused that they’re often repeating themselves or reminding the other what has been said.
This story explored some very fascinating themes and I highlighted a TON on my kindle. I don’t want to say too much, because watching the themes unfold was a big part of this novel’s appeal. This was about lifelong relationships and the things that we do that are hurtful to the most important people in our lives. It was about nearing the end of our lives and how we become separated from our loved ones when we die. There were some interesting religious allusions – the things we do because we believe that it’s what a god wants, despite our own inner voice telling us that it’s wrong.
It seemed as though Ishiguro was exploring Alzheimer’s in some way. Memories swam to the surface, but in fuzzy and incomplete ways. Conversations were cut off or needed to be repeated for meanings to be understood, and even then it didn’t always work.
I thought this was written brilliantly. There were moments when I found the story to be slow, but there was enough of an undercurrent that kept pulling me along. The way the characters kept repeating themselves was executed so well – I could feel the mist settling over me and my own brain start to feel bogged down. My heart pounded through the last third of the book as Axl and Beatrice neared their destination. I was so worried about what was going to happen.
I’ve never been a huge Arthurian legend fan and this time period has never been a favorite for me, so the odds of me liking this book were not huge. But I’m going to step out on a limb and say that this will be one of my favorite reads this year. And I am definitely going to return to Ishiguro!
This story explored some very fascinating themes and I highlighted a TON on my kindle. I don’t want to say too much, because watching the themes unfold was a big part of this novel’s appeal. This was about lifelong relationships and the things that we do that are hurtful to the most important people in our lives. It was about nearing the end of our lives and how we become separated from our loved ones when we die. There were some interesting religious allusions – the things we do because we believe that it’s what a god wants, despite our own inner voice telling us that it’s wrong.
It seemed as though Ishiguro was exploring Alzheimer’s in some way. Memories swam to the surface, but in fuzzy and incomplete ways. Conversations were cut off or needed to be repeated for meanings to be understood, and even then it didn’t always work.
I thought this was written brilliantly. There were moments when I found the story to be slow, but there was enough of an undercurrent that kept pulling me along. The way the characters kept repeating themselves was executed so well – I could feel the mist settling over me and my own brain start to feel bogged down. My heart pounded through the last third of the book as Axl and Beatrice neared their destination. I was so worried about what was going to happen.
I’ve never been a huge Arthurian legend fan and this time period has never been a favorite for me, so the odds of me liking this book were not huge. But I’m going to step out on a limb and say that this will be one of my favorite reads this year. And I am definitely going to return to Ishiguro!
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
3.0
A noble Arthurian tale. Like one reviewer said, I felt as if it was a metaphor that went over my head. Well done capturing a more classic style of storytelling, but not my favorite type of fiction. Refreshing to see a fantasy story centered around an aged couple rather than a young upstart.
danang's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25