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The Buried Giant

Kazuo Ishiguro

Why we're reading this: There is no question that Ishiguro writes like a dream, so I will add my disclaimer that this is really j…more
[close] There is no question that Ishiguro writes like a dream, so I will add my disclaimer that this is really just not my cup of tea. Set in the years following the demise of Arthur, Great Britain lays covered in the mist from the breath of the she-dragon, Querig, which is causes everyone to forget. The elderly Axl and Beatrice are the main protagonist who are on a quest to visit their son whom they have not seen in many years. Along the way the old couple meets young Edwin, Sir Gawain (a knight of King Arthur), and Wistan (a Saxon warrior), all of whom have an interest in the reign of forgetfulness caused by Querig. For those readers who love fantasy and fairy-tales, Ishiguro is sure to enchant.

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Apr 19, 2015 Toni Moore rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, reviewed, science-fiction, 2015-books-read

I suggested this to my book club, "Books. And Pie," and we read it for our April meeting. I liked this book a great deal, but it is very different. It’s more like a fable or fairy tale than a novel. If you accept it on its own terms, as a quest narrative and perhaps an allegory, it has the potential to fascinate you and give you a new perspective on aging and death. This is the only book by author Kazuo Ishiguro that I've yet read; he is best known as the author of "Remains of the Day." Apparent I suggested this to my book club, "Books. And Pie," and we read it for our April meeting. I liked this book a great deal, but it is very different. It’s more like a fable or fairy tale than a novel. If you accept it on its own terms, as a quest narrative and perhaps an allegory, it has the potential to fascinate you and give you a new perspective on aging and death. This is the only book by author Kazuo Ishiguro that I've yet read; he is best known as the author of "Remains of the Day." Apparently all his books are quite distinct.

"The Buried Giant" is set in a mythical early Medieval England, where Britons and Saxons live in separate communities, but mostly refrain from attacking each other. There are ogres and pixies and other fantastical creatures, including at least one dragon. It is after the time of King Arthur (who is a historical figure in the world of this book), but some people remember him and his magician-shaman, Merlin. One of the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain -- a younger Knight of the Round Table and Arthur's cousin -- is a crucial figure, though he’s an old man now. The Romans have left, but their impact remains in the form of ruined villas and other structures throughout the land.

An older Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice, are at the heart of the story. People's minds are clouded, like the mist that often settles over the land, and people find it hard to recall things that have happened. Early in the book, a young girl goes missing from the Briton settlement -- which is a warren burrowed into the side of a hill. At first her parents and all the community search for her and are quite upset that she has wandered into the ogre-infested countryside. But then they are distracted by another unusual occurrence and forget all about her. She returns, and her mother scolds the girl a little, but it's a small thing compared to the uproar the girl's disappearance caused.

Axl, though, has begun to remember some bits and pieces of his past, as has Beatrice. She wants to visit their son, who they think lives in another Briton settlement not too far away. But their memories are vague, so when they set out on their quest to visit their son it's a real leap of faith. Because it's a quest, they meet all kinds of strange and mysterious -- but interesting -- characters on their way. Things happen that delay them and divert them from their journey to their son's village. Yet the diversions prove to be as crucial to their travels as their main goal.

This is a magical, mysterious, rewarding book that doesn't reveal all its secrets on the first read. Ishiguro supposedly spent 10 years writing this book, and I believe it, given its multi-layered quality. I plan to wait a couple of years and read it again; I'm sure I'll see things I missed the first time. I thoroughly recommend it.
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Apr 02, 2017 Mary rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, grief, marriage

The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro

There is no question that Ishiguro writes like a dream, so I will add my disclaimer that this is really just not my cup of tea. Set in the years following the demise of Arthur, Great Britain lays covered in the mist from the breath of the she-dragon, Querig, which is causes everyone to forget. The elderly Axl and Beatrice are the main protagonist who are on a quest to visit their son whom they have not seen in many years. Along the way the old couple meets youn ...more

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