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colinhayes 's review for:
The Unconsoled
by Kazuo Ishiguro
I'm intending to read through all Kazuo Ishiguro's novels, which isn't too daunting a task as he only has eight and a collection of short stories at the moment. I'm half way through having read The Unconsoled and it's certainly one of the strangest novels I've read in a long time.
The plot is about a famous concert pianist Mr Ryder who is due to play a concert in an unamed European City. He is frustrated by a series of increasing bizarre and seemingly random events as he tries to prepare for the concert.
It's very different from the rest of Ishiguro's works that I've read in that it is set in a strange dream world. The events that happen seem more and more bizarre. His relationships with various people leave more questions than they do answer. The geography of the city can alter haphazardly. At times it's incredibly frustrating as Ryder gets increasingly involved in a series of events that hinder him and he seems unable to extricate himself. At times the absurdity of events is laugh out loud funny.
Having said it's different from his other novels it's also similar in many ways. There are echoes of The Buried Giant with the struggle with memory, there are also echoes of Remains of the Day as Ryder is seemingly a successful man in his chosen profession but is actually a mess in his private life.
What is the book actually about? It's far from clear, much of it is an enygma. It's a book that doesn't just leave you when you've finished the last page and pays well from thinking it through. All of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels have more to them than simply what appears on the surface. There are many layers to them and lots of metaphors. The Unconsoled however turns these things up to eleven.
Yes, at times the book is frustrating, it's far from clear what Ishiguro is saying but I loved it. I loved the labyrinth that he took us down even though we don't necessarily exit it. I enjoyed Ryder's frustrated attempts to prepare for his concert. I enjoyed the bizarre humour.
A strange but compellingly novel. Enjoyably frustrating.
The plot is about a famous concert pianist Mr Ryder who is due to play a concert in an unamed European City. He is frustrated by a series of increasing bizarre and seemingly random events as he tries to prepare for the concert.
It's very different from the rest of Ishiguro's works that I've read in that it is set in a strange dream world. The events that happen seem more and more bizarre. His relationships with various people leave more questions than they do answer. The geography of the city can alter haphazardly. At times it's incredibly frustrating as Ryder gets increasingly involved in a series of events that hinder him and he seems unable to extricate himself. At times the absurdity of events is laugh out loud funny.
Having said it's different from his other novels it's also similar in many ways. There are echoes of The Buried Giant with the struggle with memory, there are also echoes of Remains of the Day as Ryder is seemingly a successful man in his chosen profession but is actually a mess in his private life.
What is the book actually about? It's far from clear, much of it is an enygma. It's a book that doesn't just leave you when you've finished the last page and pays well from thinking it through. All of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels have more to them than simply what appears on the surface. There are many layers to them and lots of metaphors. The Unconsoled however turns these things up to eleven.
Yes, at times the book is frustrating, it's far from clear what Ishiguro is saying but I loved it. I loved the labyrinth that he took us down even though we don't necessarily exit it. I enjoyed Ryder's frustrated attempts to prepare for his concert. I enjoyed the bizarre humour.
A strange but compellingly novel. Enjoyably frustrating.