A compelling, heartfelt novel: a review of ‘The Buried Giant’ by Kazuo Ishiguro

Is it always better to remember? This is the question at the centre of The Buried Giant, the seventh novel from Nobel-Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. Released in 2015, the story is situated in a mythical pre-medieval Britain, containing ogres, knights, and the menacing she-dragon ‘Qerig’. However, the novel’s main battle is to remember, as a mysterious ‘mist’ has settled over the land and is causing a form of mass amnesia. The story primarily follows elderly couple Axl and Beatrice as they travel to their son’s village to ensure they don’t forget him, and along the way they try to remember the earlier days of their own relationship.

The third-person narrative style is a departure from Ishiguro’s trademark first-person perspective. Initially this worried me, as Ishiguro’s mastery of this style of narrative voice is usually one of his greatest strengths, with him using it to dive deep into the protagonist’s worldview and mindset. In this case, though, it was the right decision. It allows for the story to take on a slightly wider scope than may be possible when writing from one character’s fixed perspective, a scope which he uses to explore the central theme of memory through several different lenses.

Furthermore, Axl and Beatrice are incredibly endearing central protagonists. Individually each is charming and layered, but it’s as a couple that they truly find their strength. The love Axl and his ‘princess’ share is infectious to the reader, who wants nothing but the best for the pair and is just as excited as they are when they regain faint memories of their relationship. Not only does this make the novel a pleasure to read, but it also adds a huge amount of emotional investment for the reader, meaning they’re gripped by every twist and turn in the couple’s story.

The depth and maturity with which this theme of memory is portrayed is the greatest thing about this novel

Moreover, the passages told from the perspectives of the young boy, Edwin, and old knight, Sir Gawain, provide an interesting change of pace, helping us to better understand these more secondary characters. In the case of Sir Gawain, Ishiguro briefly returns to his typical first-person style, a decision that was greatly beneficial to helping the reader understand the inner workings of his mind and leading to a fascinating read.

Another strength boasted by the novel is its ability to create a compelling atmosphere. The reader isn’t slapped in the face by the fantasy elements, with Ishiguro keeping things relatively grounded, but a variety of mythical creatures are referred to throughout that successfully achieve a sense of wonder. One enigmatic figure mentioned is ‘the boatman’, and the mystery surrounding his character is a great example of how the world as a whole is made to feel. It’s not clear if the boatman is honest or a cruel trickster, whether he’s fully human, what his motives are, or even if he truly exists, and this sense of the unknown pervades the book as a whole, creating constant intrigue.

The mystery is also extended to characters such as Wistan and Sir Gawain. Each has much more to them than is initially shown, and the gradual unravelling of their characters’ backgrounds and motivations keeps the reader on their toes, as well as having them question who they should be rooting for. Although the reader is allowed to examine Axl very closely from the beginning, his amnesia means that even he is subject to mystery, unable to fully understand even himself due to ‘the mist’.

The depth and maturity with which this theme of memory is portrayed is the greatest thing about this novel. Ishiguro uses the personal relationship of Axl and Beatrice, as well as the generational trauma caused by war, to ask the question of whether remembering pain is always better. on both a practical and emotional level. It asks the reader how legitimate a good thing can be if we are ignorant to its foundation. The novel refuses to provide any easy or concrete answers to these questions, meaning readers can spend hours thinking about what different facets of the story suggest and coming to their own conclusions. To go into any more detail would entail spoilers, so I’ll stop here with a strong recommendation of this incredibly engaging and stimulating work.

5/5