The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Buried Giant

by Kazuo Ishiguro

From the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day
 
The Romans have long since departed and Britain is steadily declining into ruin. But, at least, the wars that once ravaged the country have ceased. Axl and Beatrice, a couple of elderly Britons, decide that now is the time, finally, for them to set off across this troubled land of mist and rain to find the son they have not seen for years, the son they can scarcely remember. They know they will face many hazards—some strange and otherworldly—but they cannot foresee how their journey will reveal to them the dark and forgotten corners of their love for each other. Nor can they foresee that they will be joined on their journey by a Saxon warrior, his orphan charge, and a knight—each of them, like Axl and Beatrice, lost in some way to his own past, but drawn inexorably toward the comfort, and the burden, of the fullness of a life’s memories.

Sometimes savage, sometimes mysterious, always intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in a decade tells a luminous story about the act of forgetting and the power of memory, a resonant tale of love, vengeance, and war.

Reviewed by Lianne on

3 of 5 stars

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I won an ARC of this book via the GoodReads First Reads programme. This review in its entirety was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2015/03/02/review-the-buried-giant/

To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of this novel. After especially reading Never Let Me Go, I learned that much of Ishiguro’s writing and storytelling is of the subtler contexts, the themes and emotions happening underneath the surface. The narrative is a lot different compared to his other two novels I’ve read.

The story is set on a mythical Britain left in an eerie state of forgetfulness long after the Romans have departed. There are fantastical elements to this novel but it works well with the other mythical elements tied to this dark age of Britain but it works for the story, especially when it ties back int the case of forgetfulness that has swept the land. This forgetfulness feels very eerie, rather frightful as people don’t remember much from their early lives, throws a wrench in relationships, etc.

Axl and Beatrice were wonderful characters, their story seemingly simple but their love and partnership very strong amidst the forgetful mists around them. Their journey starts of simply enough but they get caught into larger events filled with hostile inhabitants, a dragon lurking about somewhere in the world, suspicious monks, and strange boatmen. The presence of Wistan and Edwin later one introduces the uneasy coexistence between the Saxons and the Britons, and adds a needed layer of danger to the story.

As curious as these elements and these characters were, I did find the story to amble about as the narrative progresses. I started losing sight of the main goal of the story as Axl and Beatrice are drawn into Wistan’s story and his issues. It got interesting towards the end when the answers started trickling in, but I found myself a bit disappointed by some of the reveals. While Axl and Beatrice’s story wrapped up nicely (or at least felt emotionally satisfying from the way their story ran), the larger storylines felt a bit incomplete, alluding to larger events to happen but not showing anything for it.

Despite of this, The Buried Giant is a fascinating read, a lot different from anything I’ve read so far this year. Not my favourite Ishiguro novel but it’s different and curious nonetheless.

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  • Started reading
  • 16 February, 2015: Finished reading
  • 16 February, 2015: Reviewed