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The Usual
To me this read very much like Kafka, so you might try The Trial or The Castle.
Felipe Nobre
I know this is a really old question but I've recently read Untold Night and Day by Bae Su-ah (translated into English by Deborah Smith from the Korean) and its dreamlike tone reminded me of this.
Lucas
Kafka's The Castle or The Trial
Blythe
Ishiguro's The Buried Giant is a very different story but has a similar dreamlike tone. I preferred it to The Unconsoled.
Mariana
Nobody mentioned this, but The Unconsoled reminded me "The master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov
DAVID ADAMS
Vonnegut. P.K. Dick.
Jess
In the Heart of the Country by J.M. Coetzee; Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin.
These are the "Trilogy of Unreliable Narrator" books that constitute a good part of my 5 star books lol. These two are much, much less difficult than The Unconsoled, but if anything, probably better for that--there's just so much one can take at one time IMO.
I do agree with those who suggest Kafka, and would also suggest Nabokov's Bend Sinister--there's others of his I can't totally remember that have a less hysterical tone that also would be similar.
Have to disagree entirely with anyone who makes the argument for or Murakami Haruki or Pynchon, or any other Ishiguro to date (other than, very slightly, Never Let Me Go).
Great question--I'm following this!
These are the "Trilogy of Unreliable Narrator" books that constitute a good part of my 5 star books lol. These two are much, much less difficult than The Unconsoled, but if anything, probably better for that--there's just so much one can take at one time IMO.
I do agree with those who suggest Kafka, and would also suggest Nabokov's Bend Sinister--there's others of his I can't totally remember that have a less hysterical tone that also would be similar.
Have to disagree entirely with anyone who makes the argument for or Murakami Haruki or Pynchon, or any other Ishiguro to date (other than, very slightly, Never Let Me Go).
Great question--I'm following this!
Dorit Charif
WHEN WE WRE ORPFANES
Dwight Roy
Gravity's Rainbow by Pynchon has dream like scenes similar to The Unconsoled. If you enjoyed the complexity of The Unconsoled you will love Gravity's Rainbow
Nathanimal
Kafka: hear, hear! Also try *My Heart Hemmed In* by Marie NDiaye.
Jason
The dreamlike quality recalls Kafka's "The Castle," as others have mentioned. It also reminded me somewhat of my experience reading Murakami's "1Q84," though there is nothing notably Japanese about 'The Unconsoled."
Catherine B.
I like this author very much but I feel like putting aside this novel which I stared . I am much interested in hearing from you what fascination, pleasure, thoughts this very book gave you . Yes, it is interesting.
Patrick
SATANTANGO by Laszlo Krasznahorkai has a similar dreamlike, unreliable, uncomfortable "something feels incredibly wrong the whole time but nothing sinister is actually happening--which makes it all that much more disturbing" feel to it.
And, as The Usual says, if you enjoyed this you could dive into Kafka. I'd start with THE TRIAL or some of the short stories (especially IN THE PENAL COLONY). Or this Kafka tale, which is only a paragraph long but incredibly powerful: http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2011/07/...
And, as The Usual says, if you enjoyed this you could dive into Kafka. I'd start with THE TRIAL or some of the short stories (especially IN THE PENAL COLONY). Or this Kafka tale, which is only a paragraph long but incredibly powerful: http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2011/07/...
Jim
Similar? No, I can not, but "Never Let Me Go" is a compelling work in which the true nature of the story becomes revealed as the tale progresses. It was my 1st Ishiguro book. I saw "Remains of the Day" as a movie and suspect the book may be rather like "Unconsoled".
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