It's been a while since I read such a bland, uninteresting work. Insipid prose, shallow characters that felt like they were written by a sophomore, and a plot that, despite founded on a very interesting premise, fails to develop into anything worth a while.
Is this the best Ishiguru has to offer? Because if Remains of the Day isn't significantly better, he might be one of the worst writers to ever get the Nobel prize.
The Unconsoled is one of the best books ever written, like reading a fever dream and undoubtedly one of the hardest books I've followed, but very rewarding. Good to read on a long journey, it will change your mind by the time you get to your destination.
Part one was enjoyable but I found the rest such a chore to get through.I'm going to read Remains of the Day soon.
>Remains of the Day
I've read both and it's exactly as you've described Never Let Me Go but longer, duller, drier, and with an even less rewarding ending.
>The Unconsoled was described as a "sprawling, almost indecipherable 500-page work"[1] that "left readers and reviewers baffled".[2] It received strong negative reviews with a few positive ones. Literary critic James Wood said that the novel had "invented its own category of badness"
lmao, this actually made me curious about it
Its like House of Leaves written by Murakami
The Unconsoled is his only good book. Never Let Me Go is literally young adult shit.
>Murakami
I've fallen for Yea Forums memes one too many times with Kafka on the Shore, no thanks.
really not a surprise. the nobel for literature is probably the most explicitly political prize given. kazuo is one of the safest authors the fuckers coulda picked during a period of internal turmoil and especially after the more radical choice of dylan the prior year.
What is the problem with Kafka on the Shore? It's an honest question.
I was exaggerating a bit that comment, it's just that Kafka on the Shore didn't do much for me, specifically.
But about the book, the good points first: the prose is okay, nothing too incredible, but not 'young adult novel' tier such as Never Let Me Go, so it's an easy read. The narrative is pretty interesting as well, specially in the beginning, when it jumps around between the protagonist, whose name I forgot, wandering aimlessly after escaping home, the kids fainting in the mountain, and the dude who speaks with cats . Murakami also evokes some pretty nice imagery throughout the book - the classic Jonnie Walker scene with the cats being probably the best example. He does know how to create that magical realism feeling that fells so alien, and yet so grounded in logic and reality, so kudos for him. And finally, the plot starts very interestingly, and it made me curious to see where it was all going.
The bad points, however, far outweigh the good ones imo. Starting with the plot, that starts well, but goes nowhere by the end. It feels like Murakami only planned it till the middle of the book, and then ended it without much of a resolution - not that there is anything wrong with ending a book while not explaining every plot point, by any means, but it did feel like he lost himself somewhere along the line, and ended up not exploring all the potential there was in the history he laid in the book. Also, after a while I found myself reading just to finish it, because i couldn't care any less for the characters, who don't really develop much - or at all - throughout the history. Overall, it just got really boring. But hey, many people love it, and it might worth a try, even if it's just so you can shitpost on Yea Forums after you're done with it.
Thank you very much.
I'm reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and enjoying it even knowing what is happening since the first chapter because it's pretty obvious. But it's one of those books you read not because of the plot, but because of everything else. Plus, it's fluid and easy, perfect for someone who was reading dense stuff.
Was it me or did some elements of Kafka on the Shore remind anyone of American Gods? Specifically Nakata's road trip. I guess it was the surreal imagery and the Johnnie Walker stuff. Very reminiscent of Shadow seeing different Gods when on the road.
Yeah, no, I'd say Remains of the Day is somewhat better, but not by much. His short stories aren't great. The Buried Giant isn't greater either.
Haven't read the Unconsoled, I imagine if it's very different from his others it can't be a bad thing
avoid japanese literature at all costs
its modern british lit
"Remains of the Day" *is* significantly better, though. It's the best of Ishiguro's more approachable works (I have it just a tad higher than "Artist of the Floating World," which is very good). "Never Let Me Go" is literally YA-tier Ishiguro. It's good for what it is (a YA microcosm of everyone's mortality), but it's still a YA book.
"The Unconsoled" is a masterpiece though; probably the best work of literature from the last 25 years.
>"The Unconsoled" is a masterpiece though; probably the best work of literature from the last 25 years.
Damn, that's a way to sell a book. I might have to look into it later, thanks!
>"invented its own category of badness"
wow! this guy calls himself a critic
You talk like you come from Goodreads
Don't you get it user? They are real human beans just like you and me, with boring plain lives and uninteresting personalities and a background built around trifles and shallow drama. Look, look! They are real human! And then they get butchered, so sad, very much sad, but at least they had a real human life first with boring plain experiences!
I enjoyed Never Let Me Go deeply. I was moved when it was the revealed the little creature doodles that functioned as breaks were actually the tiny animals that one autistic fellow was working on. It's been some years but aspects like that, the main character's fears about her sexuality, the autistic rages, the cruelty of the female friend have stayed close to me.
I love it desu
A talking parrot being able to badly squak out a few lines of shakespeare doesn't make shakespeare bad.
Shit, this was supposed to be responding to Sorry dubs user.