James's Reviews > The Buried Giant

‘The Buried Giant’ is the first of Ishiguro's novels that I have read – and being well aware of his previous accomplishments, critical acclaim, Nobel and Booker prize winning standing – it was with much anticipation, high expectation, although inevitably some apprehension that I embarked on this book – would Ishiguro and this novel in particular live up to his high standing and reputation? I was far from disappointed…

‘The Buried Giant’ is a hauntingly evocative, compelling and intelligent story set in a post-Roman, post-Arthurian Britain. Ostensibly this is a story with a ‘Fantasy’ setting – and on one level very much of that genre and whilst there are nods to and echoes of Tolkien et al, the ‘Fantasy’ setting is just that, a ‘setting’ only, providing a backdrop to the big themes that Ishiguro is exploring here.

In one sense, ‘The Buried Giant’ is akin to an Arthurian (style) legend, a journey, a quest and all that goes with that – it does feel in some sense like a fable, a parable, a legend, mythological and elemental; referencing not only Cervantes’ ‘Don Quixote’, but the likes of Eco’s ‘Name of The Rose’.

On another level however, Ishiguro’s novel is all about memory, loss and remembrance – it’s about the suppression of past deeds, wrongs done, the denial of past ‘evils’; it’s about the legitimisation of war and slaughter on the basis of future peace, the questioning of ‘ends justifying the means’. Confronting, rationalising and coming to terms with a sometimes ugly and difficult past.

The narrative of ‘The Buried Giant’ is delivered by Ishiguro ostensibly on two key levels – there is the very personal story of Axl and Beatrice and their journey to find their son; the journey that they must go on and their remembrance of things past – past wrongs being remembered, righted or at least confronted; the healing of old wounds, the journey of life along with a ultimately a contemplation of death and isolation. On another level, ‘The Buried Giant’ is all about the ‘wrongs’ done at societal level, mass slaughter and genocide – the subsequent acceptance and justification of same and ultimately the rewriting of both memory and history in order to deliver an acceptable and palatable story, A process of forgetting, remembrance and rationalisation or suppression of the past. Therefore, ‘The Buried Giant’ is all about not just individual, but more importantly collective amnesia.

‘The Buried Giant’ is a great book, so very well delivered – haunting, memorable, effective, affecting, compelling, amusing, exciting; ambitious in scope – simple yet complex, thought-provoking, evocative and intelligent – a great adventure and a great story, what more could you want? Highly recommended.