The Buried Giant

A novel

By: Kazuo Ishiguro

Narrated by: David Horovitch

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day comes a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory.

In post-Arthurian Britain, the wars that once raged between the Saxons and the Britons have finally ceased. Axl and Beatrice, an elderly British couple, set off to visit their son, whom they haven't seen in years. And, because a strange mist has caused mass amnesia throughout the land, they can scarcely remember anything about him. As they are joined on their journey by a Saxon warrior, his orphan charge, and an illustrious knight, Axl and Beatrice slowly begin to remember the dark and troubled past they all share.

By turns savage, suspenseful, and intensely moving, The Buried Giant is a luminous meditation on the act of forgetting and the power of memory.

Fiercely sublime

Would you listen to The Buried Giant again? Why?

Definitely. Partly to revisit the characters and get some of the nuance of the story that I'm sure I missed the first go around - mostly for Horovitch.

What did you like best about this story?

It's constant pace. It's doesn't have to hit you in the face. Axl and Beatrice are on a journey, the subtext of the journey is delivered subtly and on the way. It's not flight butressed by essays, but a nice walk; a full and satisfying walk.

What about David Horovitch’s performance did you like?

He's a master. If you want to learn about yourself if you're the kind of person who'd like audiobooks, start with this; If you don't, you won't. It doesn't get better than this. The character changes are effortless and real. I've started to search for books to try not by author, but by clicking on this narrator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Every ounce of dialog from Axl. Start to finish.

Heartfelt and enchanting.

The narrator was on point. The tale met my expectations as an Ishiguro classic. A world of good old fashioned ogres, dragons, pixies and the like. A world filled with chivalry and hostility. Wonderfully setting off the characters. I feel like was the haunting ending. Very much recommended. A world I will be happy to return to many times.

Not particularly successful

This book is often referred to as a fantasy novel, but in my opinion it bears very little resemblance to fantasy. I'd describe it as a philosophical novel with a few fantastic and mythical elements. The concept is good, the questions asked are valuable, but the execution, while often beautifully written, is so labored and dialogue-heavy that it only occasionally gets off the ground.

So much of the book is in dialogue, and there is so much repetition, that although events are happening to the characters, it feels as though nothing is happening. The fantastic elements have little weight and are almost beside the point. The book's truth could have been discovered as well if it had concerned an elderly couple living today, experiencing the memory loss that frequently comes with advanced age.

The author asks good questions: is the love between two people still valid if they can't remember their past? Is peace between peoples desirable or meaningful if it is based on their inability to remember their arguments and their wars? They are excellent questions, but this is a long, labored, roundabout way of exploring them.

The narration is excellent.

I missed the meaning of the ending.

Amazing story and performance. What happened at the end? Am I just lame? Help me out here, someone. Appreciate it.

Chaucerian allegory to summon in the Saxon Age

This is an intriguing novel, lyrical and repetitive in the telling. I can understand the comparisons to Tolkein's intentions. Old England and its lore is a deep study and there's fascinating aspects and allegories throughout the book. But as a whole it also suffers from its repetitive style and placing vagueness intentionally at the core of its plot.

A sad, evocative and faulty work, at the same time an endearing and sentimental journey. A road trip that's in some ways reminiscent of the Canterbury Tales.