A review by nglofile
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.