Book Review The Buried Giant

15 May 2015

Fellow readers, Kazuo Ishiguro has done it again. The Buried Giant is his first book in a decade, and its sweeping narrative is guaranteed to enchant. He brings the same literary mind that crafted Never Let Me Go into the genre of magical realism, using familiar tropes to synthesize a poignant commentary on love, death, and duty.

True to the roots of classic fairy tales, The Buried Giant is a dark story. Set in a post Roman Britain plagued by suffocating mists as grey as the characters’ moral compasses, this rambling tale follows Axl and Beatrice, an elderly Briton couple, as they head out in search of their son. Along the way they encounter Saxons, Dragons, Witches, and many fellow travelers who guide them on their way. With elements of medieval folklore, history, and magic, The Buried Giant takes our beloved protagonists on a journey that becomes less and less about finding their son, and more about remembering who they are. Get ready to spend the entire novel rooting for Axl and Beatrice as they attempt to save each other, their friends, and in the end fight for the future of their country.

The crowning accomplishment of The Buried Giant is its strong characterization. Increasing levels of emotional and moral complexity render no character fully bad, and none fully good, instead painting every character as believably human.

The Buried Giant reminds readers that sometimes giants can be buried in the depths of history, or the back of our minds, simply awaiting the right catalyst to come rising back to the surface, changing everything that comes after.

Readers who love literary musings, historical fiction, and thought provoking fantasy will enjoy The Buried Giant.

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