Ebook The Buried Giant Azw3 Tác Giả Kazuo Ishiguro

Introduction of the ebook: The Buried Giant

Đánh giá : 3.55 /5 (sao)

“You’ve long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it’s time now to think on it anew. There’s a journey we must go on, and no more delay…”

The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in nearly a decad “You’ve long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it’s time now to think on it anew. There’s a journey we must go on, and no more delay…”

The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.

Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.

Included on TIME Magazine’s “THE 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME” …more

Review ebook The Buried Giant

I have only read one other Ishiguro novel and that is Never Let Me Go. Nevertheless, I too was intrigued about what would happen when a highly-acclaimed author of literary fiction transitioned into fantasy. Unfortunately, having read the book, I’m still not even sure.

What happened here? It’s one of those novels where I can’t help wondering if there’s some underlying symbolism or metaphorical brilliance that totally went over my head. It’s a simplistic, emotionally-detached and – at times – borin I have only read one other Ishiguro novel and that is Never Let Me Go. Nevertheless, I too was intrigued about what would happen when a highly-acclaimed author of literary fiction transitioned into fantasy. Unfortunately, having read the book, I’m still not even sure.

What happened here? It’s one of those novels where I can’t help wondering if there’s some underlying symbolism or metaphorical brilliance that totally went over my head. It’s a simplistic, emotionally-detached and – at times – boring story, so I’m inclined to assume Ishiguro was aiming at smarter people than me who would take something deeper from it.

But I don’t think so. I find myself leaning towards Craig’s interpretation that Isiguro gives us the information and lets us decide what to do with it. Interpret as you will, I guess. Especially with that ending that Kirkus believes to be “one that will shock you”. Well, I would not say I was shocked. I would say I was mildly surprised that Ishiguro had convinced me to keep reading the last 300 pages when all I got was a fizzled out ending and no answers.

Screw subtlety and interpretation! I want answers, dammit.

Credit where it’s due: I was very intrigued in the beginning. I’m fascinated by all kinds of stories about memory and memory loss, whether it’s a thriller like The Girl on the Train, a sad contemporary like Still Alice or a fantasy like this. My memories define who I am and the thought of losing them is terrifying to me. Considering that this book opens on a premise of an entire village experiencing weird memory loss – forgetting people who have left, sons they haven’t seen in a while, or arguments they just had that morning – I was ready to love it.

But the exploration of this memory loss with Axl and Beatrice was unsatisfying and really damn repetitive after a while. I guess people who constantly forget what they have said are likely to keep saying it again but, hell, it makes for a tedious read. I grew tired of hearing about how their son was waiting for them, how Beatrice experienced some pain but, oh, it was nothing really, how maybe they had an argument but neither can remember so let’s forget it, and pretty much everything about King Arthur was mind-numbing.

Also, I called this emotionally-detached and I’d like to explain what I mean. I don’t think we ever develop an emotional connection with the characters. Axl and Beatrice have no personality (does anyone?) and speak so formally to one another. It’s so… strange. This has to be the most polite fantasy I’ve ever read. I know this is set just after the Roman period in Britain but, come on, I find it difficult to believe an old couple spoke to each other like this. And not just them, there are battles and bloodshed and everything is so weirdly polite.

Person 1: I say, old chap, I’m afraid I’m going to have to slay you!
Person 2: Dear me, that is unfortunate. But fight I shall and perhaps I will win!

Yeah, that’s not a direct quote, but I swear there are pieces of dialogue like that.

And Axl calls Beatrice “princess” all the time. ALL THE TIME. I know you might be thinking that’s sweet, but ALL THE TIME. At the end of every sentence, he addresses her as “princess”. When they’re afraid for their lives, he manages to find time to slip “princess” into every thing he says.

This book is weird enough that I’m sure it’ll inspire many exciting interpretations, but my imagination isn’t playing. It’s a boring journey with boring characters and a fabulously anticlimactic non-ending.

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