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| The Buried Giant |
Title: The Buried Giant
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publication Date: 3/3/15
Pages: 317
How I Found It: I have read some of Ishiguro's work previously.
Date Completed: 2/26/17
Summary: Beatrice and Axl, peasants in ancient Britain, set off on a journey to visit their son. The land is covered in a memory-stealing fog and their journey becomes entwined with the efforts to save the land.
What I Thought: Ishiguro has such a beautiful writing style. It's thick and deep and weighty with meaning. His work is accessible to the light reader, but well worth the deep dive for someone who is looking for a more substantive literary experience. His work always makes me feel as though anyone reading it on that surface level will find it boring (as I did in high school), but those willing to invest more will receive as much as they give.
This book, in particular, has an enjoyable plot. Axl, Beatrice, and the population of their land have all been afflicted by a fog which obscures their memories. In spite of this, the couple set off on a journey to visit their son. Along the way, they meet a variety of characters and become entangled with efforts to lift the fog and defeat a dragon. Classic Arthurian legend type stuff. In fact, Sir Gawain, Knight of the Round Table, even winds up in a supporting role. All of that is fun and interesting and enough to keep the surface level reader entertained.
Deeper, though, is an exploration of marriage, of the lies we tell one another, of things best left forgotten, of what loyalty means, of the valiancy of quests, of the futility of their outcomes. By the end, Ishiguro has given the attentive reader much to ponder.
I enjoyed this book. I don't think it it Ishiguro's best work, but even a moderate work by him stands tall in the field of modern literature. I hope it doesn't take him another decade to write his next book.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Possibly
Other Books By Kazuo Ishiguro: The Remains of the Day
A Reduced Review: I don't think it it Ishiguro's best work, but even a moderate work by him stands tall in the field of modern literature.
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