cowboyshakespeare's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
this was very cool. need to think about narrative perspective and the role of art and everything.
trans_ishtar's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. I struggle with this kind of fiction – I guess fantasy got me too spoiled =D
sneharatakonda's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ishiguro is such a master of pacing. This book is about an old Japanese artist who is struggling to live in the post-war country, attempting to reconcile with his past and the part he played in the war.
shanemlcm's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gabijaz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
slipni's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
a_epistemological_crisis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
snivets's review against another edition
4.0
An immaculately paced work that dives inside a complex human mind in a complex human culture in a transformative period of its history (pre- and post-World War II Japan). Paced like the other Ishiguro book I've read, The Remains of the Day, this is a story that unfolds bit by bit, interspersed with lengthy and granular recountings of vivid events in the main character's life, that slowly over time add up to a complex sense of nostalgia, remorse, loss, appreciation, and understanding that seems so unique to Ishiguro's books. This book really 'paints' a sense of what it was like to be a state-affiliated artist in a wartime empire, and moreso what it felt like to look over that period as a person several years into New Japan.
laceej88's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0