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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Rating 3.5
'The Unconsoled' is a gem in surrealism, and is as beautiful as it is frustrating,
This book is like an extended dream sequence. It's bizarre and amazing. It's notable for the fact the lead character, as well as the reader, have no idea who he is, where he is, or what he's doing - at any point. There are often lengthy repetitive passages of dialogue that are frankly taxing and simply boring. To say it was a difficult read would be an understatement. I was on the verge of quitting this book several times, not because it isn't good, but just the sheer frustration of going through it!
This book is definitely not for everybody.
'The Unconsoled' is a gem in surrealism, and is as beautiful as it is frustrating,
This book is like an extended dream sequence. It's bizarre and amazing. It's notable for the fact the lead character, as well as the reader, have no idea who he is, where he is, or what he's doing - at any point. There are often lengthy repetitive passages of dialogue that are frankly taxing and simply boring. To say it was a difficult read would be an understatement. I was on the verge of quitting this book several times, not because it isn't good, but just the sheer frustration of going through it!
This book is definitely not for everybody.
This was an interesting book. I can see why people either love it or hate it.
Personally, I loved it. It was all garnished with wonderful symbolism and dreamy conventions of writing. I did find the side characters extremely annoying, with them constantly asking for favours from Mr Ryder with always the expectation that he would say yes, but I think that was the intention the author wanted to go with. He wanted us to get annoyed with the characters and feel this sense of annoyance at Ryder’s inability to say no to all these people. The town portrayed here is beaten down by its own conventions of friendship and respect. And it doesnt even once get a sense of self awareness that it’s because of them all this is going wrong. The way people were so selfish and blinded by their own needs and wants that they just refuse to see Ryder was running on low sleep and hunger. What’s even more ironic is, Ryder towards the end, also behinds to imbibe the same curve of expectation from people who he knows are doomed to stay dependant on him.
I would say this book is a must read for those who are interested in social interaction and psyche that is close to a mental breakdown. I didn’t give this book a complete 5 stars because I did feel Ishiguro went a little too overboard to get to his point and maybe this WOULDVE been a more enjoyable read had he learned to sort of restrain his observations on humans instead of, at times, repeating it. I still felt that even with this unconventional way of writing, he still managed to tell me a story that I enjoyed greatly
Personally, I loved it. It was all garnished with wonderful symbolism and dreamy conventions of writing. I did find the side characters extremely annoying, with them constantly asking for favours from Mr Ryder with always the expectation that he would say yes, but I think that was the intention the author wanted to go with. He wanted us to get annoyed with the characters and feel this sense of annoyance at Ryder’s inability to say no to all these people. The town portrayed here is beaten down by its own conventions of friendship and respect. And it doesnt even once get a sense of self awareness that it’s because of them all this is going wrong. The way people were so selfish and blinded by their own needs and wants that they just refuse to see Ryder was running on low sleep and hunger. What’s even more ironic is, Ryder towards the end, also behinds to imbibe the same curve of expectation from people who he knows are doomed to stay dependant on him.
I would say this book is a must read for those who are interested in social interaction and psyche that is close to a mental breakdown. I didn’t give this book a complete 5 stars because I did feel Ishiguro went a little too overboard to get to his point and maybe this WOULDVE been a more enjoyable read had he learned to sort of restrain his observations on humans instead of, at times, repeating it. I still felt that even with this unconventional way of writing, he still managed to tell me a story that I enjoyed greatly
According to an interview with the author, this is a book in "the language of dreams." While reading it, I didn't really enjoy it and found that I kept reading purely to see how it was going to end in the hopes that everything would suddenly make sense.
Like with dreams, the ending was pretty unsatisfying. However, I find I have grown to appreciate this book more as the years go on. They say that nothing is more boring than other people's dreams, but it's a very original idea for a novel.
Like with dreams, the ending was pretty unsatisfying. However, I find I have grown to appreciate this book more as the years go on. They say that nothing is more boring than other people's dreams, but it's a very original idea for a novel.
I thought this was uniquely brilliant. I can see why most people haven’t liked it as much as some of his others, but I absolutely loved it.
It felt like living in an entire world of Ishiguro’s own creation, and I found I was completely captivated from the very start but I can’t really explain why. I just think he’s an absolute genius and this deeply affected how I found myself perceiving the world.
It felt like living in an entire world of Ishiguro’s own creation, and I found I was completely captivated from the very start but I can’t really explain why. I just think he’s an absolute genius and this deeply affected how I found myself perceiving the world.
One of the most boring books I have read in a long time. I liked some of it, and kept on expecting more to happen so I finished reading...but I can't really say how I feel about it overall. I liked the occasional omniscience of Ryder's narration and I enjoyed the differently, randomly but carefully developed backstories we were exposed to.
I picked up the book because a lot of reviews called it Kafkaesque, and I love Kafka. But for most of this book, the furious urgency and sense of dread I find in much of Kafka's work was not present, nor was the humor I enjoy in Kafka. So, yes, it was a rambling, long but still structured story, with me often asking, "how can it still be the same day? How can all these streets always end up back at the hotel? How can these same people keep on appearing" as happens while reading Kafka. But the overall feeling was missing, which I found disappointing.
I picked up the book because a lot of reviews called it Kafkaesque, and I love Kafka. But for most of this book, the furious urgency and sense of dread I find in much of Kafka's work was not present, nor was the humor I enjoy in Kafka. So, yes, it was a rambling, long but still structured story, with me often asking, "how can it still be the same day? How can all these streets always end up back at the hotel? How can these same people keep on appearing" as happens while reading Kafka. But the overall feeling was missing, which I found disappointing.
This is the most frustrating book I've ever read. It's a slow, winding crawl through one of those dreams where you never quite reach your goal because new random events keep popping up. I understand what Kazuo Ishiguro is doing here, and he does it masterfully. If it was half the length, I think I would enjoy it way more. But, for as much as I enjoy the righting itself, I cannot muster the motivation to continue. I'm just too annoyed.
Ishiguro does Kafka.
Ishiguro can write in many different genres.
[b:Never Let Me Go|6334|Never Let Me Go|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353048590l/6334._SY75_.jpg|1499998] and [b:Klara and the Sun|54120408|Klara and the Sun|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603206535l/54120408._SY75_.jpg|84460796] are sci-fi.
[b:The Buried Giant|23210067|The Buried Giant|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415296888l/23210067._SX50_.jpg|41115424] is fantasy.
[b:When We Were Orphans|44417610|When We Were Orphans|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552422269l/44417610._SY75_.jpg|3333606] (a seriously underrated book) is detective fiction.
[b:An Artist of the Floating World|28922|An Artist of the Floating World|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327786035l/28922._SY75_.jpg|2464610] and [b:The Remains of the Day|17666627|The Remains of the Day|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363891174l/17666627._SY75_.jpg|3333111] are historical fiction.
And [b:A Pale View of Hills|28920|A Pale View of Hills|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348339374l/28920._SY75_.jpg|1676317] is ... well, just his first book. Doesn't really fit into any category beyond literature.
But The Unconsoled is very different. A 400-page dream where people and locations change and morph into something more familiar and strange at the same time. There are ideas of memory and journeys Ishiguro plays around with in this book that he then masters in The Buried Giant. Dream logic and absurdist encounters. There were so many scenes where the protagonist has his family within reach, but then loses them. Like a frustrating dream where you'll lose more the harder you try to control your situation.
I'm such an Ishiguro fangirl that it pains me to give this book only three stars. But I'm being honest. Kafka is powerful because he gets to the point, quickly. This book doesn't do that. It goes on too long and takes forever to get to the point.
There was one passage that will circulate in my mind for years to come, I'm sure, and it was about an artist searching for this one perfect moment or time in their life when it wasn't just practice or a good performance, but a transcendent performance. That day that the artist will look back on and say, "Yes, that was it. That was the moment I was perfect." It's a fool's errand. Something that may never come, but the artist's life is sacrificed to this endeavor. The entire city echos this ideal, that they are cultured and everyone must strive to be better. They have standards to uphold.
Someday, I will be perfect and have a family and my parents will witness my perfect day and be proud. But we all know how that plays out in our dreams.
Story: 2 stars
Character Development: 3 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Ishiguro can write in many different genres.
[b:Never Let Me Go|6334|Never Let Me Go|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353048590l/6334._SY75_.jpg|1499998] and [b:Klara and the Sun|54120408|Klara and the Sun|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603206535l/54120408._SY75_.jpg|84460796] are sci-fi.
[b:The Buried Giant|23210067|The Buried Giant|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415296888l/23210067._SX50_.jpg|41115424] is fantasy.
[b:When We Were Orphans|44417610|When We Were Orphans|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1552422269l/44417610._SY75_.jpg|3333606] (a seriously underrated book) is detective fiction.
[b:An Artist of the Floating World|28922|An Artist of the Floating World|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327786035l/28922._SY75_.jpg|2464610] and [b:The Remains of the Day|17666627|The Remains of the Day|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363891174l/17666627._SY75_.jpg|3333111] are historical fiction.
And [b:A Pale View of Hills|28920|A Pale View of Hills|Kazuo Ishiguro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348339374l/28920._SY75_.jpg|1676317] is ... well, just his first book. Doesn't really fit into any category beyond literature.
But The Unconsoled is very different. A 400-page dream where people and locations change and morph into something more familiar and strange at the same time. There are ideas of memory and journeys Ishiguro plays around with in this book that he then masters in The Buried Giant. Dream logic and absurdist encounters. There were so many scenes where the protagonist has his family within reach, but then loses them. Like a frustrating dream where you'll lose more the harder you try to control your situation.
I'm such an Ishiguro fangirl that it pains me to give this book only three stars. But I'm being honest. Kafka is powerful because he gets to the point, quickly. This book doesn't do that. It goes on too long and takes forever to get to the point.
There was one passage that will circulate in my mind for years to come, I'm sure, and it was about an artist searching for this one perfect moment or time in their life when it wasn't just practice or a good performance, but a transcendent performance. That day that the artist will look back on and say, "Yes, that was it. That was the moment I was perfect." It's a fool's errand. Something that may never come, but the artist's life is sacrificed to this endeavor. The entire city echos this ideal, that they are cultured and everyone must strive to be better. They have standards to uphold.
Someday, I will be perfect and have a family and my parents will witness my perfect day and be proud. But we all know how that plays out in our dreams.
Story: 2 stars
Character Development: 3 stars
Writing: 5 stars
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes