jeaninesmith1962's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written prose brings characters to life. The story is woven with hidden meaning that leaves me pondering the great wrongs committed in our world.
josephineinia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
untitledlullaby's review against another edition
3.0
A stronger lead but was very disappointing. Kinda feel like I wasted my time
nglofile's review against another edition
2.0
A fable-like story that employs an outward journey to frame an inward one, and it is the latter that proves more perilous. Elderly couple Axl and Beatrice are charming, and the cadence of how they speak to one another adds to the establishment of mutual devotion. However, their world is one of vague oppression, and memories are not only elusive but nonexistent. Who are we if we can't remember the specifics of our lives? A provocative question, but one that may need more context. The style of this story aspires to the lyrical and unearthly-yet-universal, but it doesn't quite reach reward.
audiobook note: David Horovitch reaches for the wise storyteller role, and he partially succeeds. The knight and the warrior were fairly indistinguishable, which was confusing and ultimately detracting to pivotal conflict. However, the narrator's reading of Axl was exactly as it should be, and the strength of that central role helped anchor the rest.
audiobook note: David Horovitch reaches for the wise storyteller role, and he partially succeeds. The knight and the warrior were fairly indistinguishable, which was confusing and ultimately detracting to pivotal conflict. However, the narrator's reading of Axl was exactly as it should be, and the strength of that central role helped anchor the rest.
dorothysbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
for a book about the act of forgetting, it had an aptly forgettable plot, made worse so by inconsistent characterisation & an anti-climatic ending, which, when combined with the extremely slow pacing of this book, would have resulted in me DNFing it if i hadn’t been listening on audio.
however, i will admit, the writing style was beautiful, with highly graceful prose. ishiguro managed to successfully tie together his very distinctly contemporary writing style with medieval world-building, creating a historical fantasy.
‘how can old wounds heal while maggots linger so richly? or a peace hold for ever built on slaughter and a magician’s trickery?’
marschwartz's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bridget_books's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is very well written and does a good job weaving together themes and mythology, but it was so slow I found myself struggling to pay attention as much as I wanted. Perhaps I will have to give it a reread in a couple years to see if my views have changed.
thisisacornhyperbole's review against another edition
5.0
I tried to read The Buried Giant the year of its release in 2015, but found, like many others, terribly bored by the drawling repetition and foggy nature of the dialogue between our main characters, Axl and Beatrice. Desperate for reading material, I found myself returning to The Buried Giant for a second attempt.
Maybe I am older and wiser, or maybe I find, after surviving through a global pandemic, I have a more relatable experience with trauma and grief. Author Kazuo Ishiguro has offered an exploration of the fantastical possibility of forgetting. Is it truly better/easier to forget the pains and sufferings of our past, as well as the joys and wonders? Or would it dull our entire existence, melding every moment into a subconscious blur of monotony and pointlessness?
A couple random thoughts:
I really loved this book, and after the first 20 pages, I started tearing through it. Without spoiling anything, this book has the type of ending that makes you say "What?!" and reread it to make sure you didn't miss anything. I also found myself reminiscing about the 2004 film, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" which also touches on a lot of these themes of trauma.
This is the type of novel I could see being studied in an undergraduate English program, or alternatively would great book for book clubs and discussion.
Maybe I am older and wiser, or maybe I find, after surviving through a global pandemic, I have a more relatable experience with trauma and grief. Author Kazuo Ishiguro has offered an exploration of the fantastical possibility of forgetting. Is it truly better/easier to forget the pains and sufferings of our past, as well as the joys and wonders? Or would it dull our entire existence, melding every moment into a subconscious blur of monotony and pointlessness?
A couple random thoughts:
I really loved this book, and after the first 20 pages, I started tearing through it. Without spoiling anything, this book has the type of ending that makes you say "What?!" and reread it to make sure you didn't miss anything. I also found myself reminiscing about the 2004 film, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" which also touches on a lot of these themes of trauma.
This is the type of novel I could see being studied in an undergraduate English program, or alternatively would great book for book clubs and discussion.