Together with Dymocks the KarryOn Book Club members have reviewed last month’s travel book; ‘Buried Giant’ by Kazuo Ishiguru.
The Buried Giant begins as a couple, Axl and Beatrice, set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen for years. They expect to face many hazards – some strange and other-worldly – but they cannot yet foresee how their journey will reveal to them dark and forgotten corners of their love for one another.Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge and war.
Read the reviews from the KarryOn Book Club members below.
Book Reviews
This book was amazing, I must say. The prose was poignant and thoughtful and the characters displayed empathy and gentleness despite the often violent, difficult and threatening situations they found themselves in.
While the two central characters were on a physical journey, it also was a journey of discovery back to each other. I found the ending sad and moving, as the passing of time saw them become closer and ultimately, and finally, more distant from each other.
A wonderful book which painted a magical picture of a time steeped in some part in legend and myth, and of heroic characters taking a personal and most final journey of discovery.
Alison O’Loughlin, TravelManagers
Firstly let me thank you for introducing this book to me. I can’t say I loved “The Buried Giant” but I definitely did not hate it! – I am still indifferent. “The Buried Giant” is not a book I would pick for myself; preferring a more classic style of writing but I can say (out of my comfort zone) I enjoyed that this book was not just an adventure but also a mystery and a love story with many layers.
I definitely did not understand everything going on in the storyline and reading “The Buries Giant” took me some work – it was an easy read, flowing nicely but the depth that is interwoven throughout with shadow-plots and layers of mystery leaves the story open. The layers often left me questioning myself and looking for interpretations – did I really know what was going on/what generic lessons I should be taking from this. I found that with the story being both literal and vague I was often confused and found myself re-reading the page. Was I over thinking?
I found parts of the story tedious, long winded and at times silly (Axl’s constant reference to Beatice as “Princess” particularly bothered me) but throughout I wanted to know more about the characters, probably for this reason the book held my interest. Every time I thought I was getting an insight to the main characters there was a plot twist or an action that left me puzzled. The melancholy ending left me wanting more but does inspire me to re-read the book as I believe further insights would be gained. I feel like I have missed major parts!!
Whilst “The Buried Giant” was not to my taste I did find the book pleasurable – I am inspired to read other Ishiguro works!
Thanks again KarryOn Book Club and Dymocks for opening me to new styles.
Jenna Veness
This tale takes us on a journey through medieval Britain with Axl & Beatrice to meet up with their long lost son. Facing dangers such as ogres, warriors, dragons and sprites along with their own self-doubt, advanced age and memory loss, they travel onwards determined to meet every challenge together, never losing sight of their goal. The reader is taken along the journey with incredibly descriptive narrations of the area, and the beliefs of the time – so vividly that you can almost see yourself watching over the aged couple.
We meet various characters all with their own quests, intricately intertwined with Axl & Beatrice, however this is clouded by a dragon’s breath induced memory fog. Will they reconcile their past – and do they really want to? The dragon that haunts the land, fogging all sense of the past with her breath – is she really the feared creature they believe her to be? Will slaying the dragon and restoring memories be positive, or will it drag up a past best left buried? Sir Gawain, his valiant steed and their King Arthur bestowed quest hints at a life Axl has abandoned and wishes to forget – has he lived a life he would be proud of should he remember the man he once was? The Boatman who raises niggling doubts the couple’s unwavering love & devotion – will the knowing the past break the love they feel for each other in the present?
The story raises more questions than it answers. The ending you seem to know is coming, yet when you get there, you’re not left with that predictable ending sense of disappointment, nor are you quite left feeling like everything has been wrapped up neatly. It makes you question love, loss, memories, guilt and fear on a journey as deep as it is mesmerising.
Julie Berzins
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro was a special book. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, but I was not disappointed.
The first thing I loved about this book was the writing style. The way in which Ishiguro described the world and the characters enabled me to picture everything vividly. The book had this feel to it, as if it was a tale that had been told around campfires for years.
From the get go, Ishiguro outlined a very interesting world and very interesting characters that left me curious and wanting to know more. This book will definitely grip you right from the start with its perfect mixture of fantasy and history.
This book certainly has something for everyone to enjoy and I believe there will be no regrets should you decide to give it a read.
Caitlin Risk
This was not something that initially took me in. But then again, neither did Game of Thrones and I have come to love that. In saying that, I found this book difficult to “plow” through, and at times found it difficult to become involved as there was too much to take in. But getting past the fantasy theming allows the reader to see the love they are trying to recall on the couples journey to find their son. The mist shrouds everything – maybe it was shrouding my mind too when reading this? I don’t know. Essentially love wins out …
Celeste Arthur
This was a challenging read for me simply because of the genre and the language it is written in. I am mostly used to books written in modern times and using the 1st person. But i have to say that once i got into it and started reading i really enjoyed this book/story.
I loved Axl and Beatrice. They remind me that love concurs all. Something we all need to remember from time to time.
Joanna Paxinos
From the first page of this book, I was intrigued. The first page delving straight into talk of Monsters & Ogres and using such a descriptive way to describe the Briton’s village. I instantly had a vision in my head of how this place looked.
I will usually continue reading a book if the first few chapters are interesting, this one had me from page one. As I have only read half the story, I find every night I struggle to put the book down. It is written very well, my mind creating these places easily in my head. Axl & Beatrice’s relationship I feel is built with such a strong foundation of love and devotion. The fact that the mist has affected their memories and they can not remember their life together, yet know in their hearts the love they have for one other is strong, I feel is what keeps them going. Axl always speaks with such respect to Beatrice, such as his nickname for her being Princess.
They set of on their journey to their son’s village not knowing who he is or if he is even there, I love that they hold this hope within their hearts that they will be re-united with him. The mist affecting their memory and the possibility that their son may not be here, has in no way hindered their decision to journey forward. This makes me feel although the mist is there, something deep within is telling them he is there, that their love is strong. Is this perhaps a fault in the mist? Can a strong love or hope overpower it? I wonder this as the further they get along their journey their memory seems to get better. Along the way they have met Wistan and a young Child Edwin, they agree to travel with them and take the boy to a safer village, although in no way their responsibility. Axl and Beatrice appear to be kind hearted, honest old souls, trusting of anyone. This has kept them out of danger which is very surprising, as most stories these kind of people are the targets, which make me believe there is more to Axl than he is remembering, who was he in his earlier life in which he can not remember? I am yet to find out as I read into part 3.
The challenges they have faces already along their journey are quite an adventure, from Ogres, Strange cloaked women & Ferry men to Dangerous Monks in the Monastery. Something tells me Axl is a survivor, or a knight in his past life. His memory slowing returning, how does he seem to always get out of these situations?
I feel the book is beautifully written, so very descriptive. When reading about Axl and Beatrice, he has written about these characters with such love. I cant wait to continue reading to find out what happens next, now that they have escaped the Monk’s monastery and are on their way to their next adventure. Will they find their son’s village? Will they be the ones to slay the dragon? Or will they meet back up with Wistan and help him slay the dragon?
Cassie Melody
To begin, what a fantastic read!
When I first picked up The Buried Giant, the writing style was what I noticed first. Ishiguro writes in such a distinct manner, and is so perfectly consistent in the way the characters talk to each other and the way the reader perceives these characters.
The Buried Giant is the type of novel that keeps you reading, not only to find out how the characters situations ends, but to find out who may be speaking or what tense the chapter may be set in, as the times and characters jump each chapter. The ending in particular leaves you thinking how, what, why, which I personally loved, yet I also would have loved more of an element of closure.
I would highly recommend this book. It is a fairly easy read, that delves into the perspectives of a world that may fill us with dread, however the personalities within the book deal so well with the problems they face and keep a constant air of beauty around them. The love and commitment between characters in The Buried Giant gives the reader a sense of yearning, which is the most powerful emotion of all when reading a book.
Maddie Koczanowski
Kazuo Ishiguro is a truly wonderful writer. In this, his new novel ‘the Buried Giant’ he is exploring the question of Memory. Would we be better off forgetting the pain and suffering of past conflicts. Is life better when we are able to forget the past?
Ishiguro sets this novel in post Arthur Round table England. It is a land where giants, ogres and witches are all real – a fairy story of characters and landscapes. This is not the usual territory of Kazoo Ishiguro and a vast departure from his novel ‘Never Let them Go’ or his celebrated ‘Remains of the Day’.
The subject matter is however as enthralling and mysterious as anything he has previously explored. Here is this england of the middle ages a dragon lives and breaths a mist over all England which makes its inhabitants forget the wars, and enemnities of the past, an endearing if somewhat unrealistic old couple are the protagonists.
They are perhaps a former Knight and perhaps a former aristocrat lady – but we are never really enlightened. They form a team – of sorts, with a warrior sent from Arthurs court, and an old knight – to kill this dragon who breaths the mist of ‘memory loss’.
They do succeed but at the end – the reader is left wondering if what they have done is the right way – if clarity is always best, if the haze of memory loss makes for a better outcome after all. A mysterious read from a very fine author.
Sarah Low
The Buried Giant written by Kazou Ishiguro was a beautifully written novel that takes us on an adventure as Axl and Beatrice journey from the comfort of their village to find their long lost son. I love the relationship between these two characters, as you can feel the love between this elderly couple through Beatrices constant asking ‘Are you there Axl’ with the response ‘Still here Princess’, and also through Axl’s pet name for Beatrice ‘Princess’ being used throughout conversation frequently.
The bond between these two main characters is strong, even though they often find themselves forgetting their past due to the unknown mist covering the land. This forgetfulness is expressed cleverly by the author by the use of repetition of sentences and questions during the conversations of the characters. Along the way we meet Warrior Wistan and his prodigy Edwin. These characters are introduced early on in Axl and Beatrice’s adventure, and begin to form a vital part of the storyline.
I love the use of the fantasy characters –Ogres, Dragons and Pixies that are used to create another world, with real historical references such as the battle between Saxons and the Britons and King Arthur. This book is an adventure that enthrals readers throughout the entire journey, and made me fall in love with the characters and their journey. Would highly recommend this author and this book.
Shannen Perry, AAT Kings
The Buried Giant was a very pleasant read. With an ambling pace and descriptive narrative, the story carried you along the journey with Axl and Beatrice. It took a bit to get used to the style in which the story was written but once I got with the pace and style, I started to feel attached to the characters and was left wondering what would happen with them when I put the book down for the night. I have read stories by other Japanese authors but never Kazuo Ishiguro, so I was surprised to find the story set in an ancient time in Britain, featuring Britons and Saxons.
I suppose in the end it was the story of how well any of us really know each other when the mist lift. I would recommend it to those who enjoy literature and people who don’t mind slowing down and just going with the flow. Thank you KarryOn Book Club for my copy of The Buried Giant.
Emma Jones
In 6th century Britain an elderly couple, Axl and his beloved Beatrice, set off on a perilous quest to find their son in another village. Their travels introduce them to the aged Arthurian knight Sir Gawain, a Saxon warrior, ogres and sinister clergymen, all with agendas of their own. A boatman, who ferries people to the island of the dead, will only allow them to travel together if they can convince him of their devotion – complicated by a mist caused by a dragon which covers the land, clouding the memories of all inhabitants.
The Buried Giant is an analogy of love and loss, memory and guilt, honour and duty. In the end, how do we make peace with the past?
Anita Kettnis
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