The Buried Giant was an enigma for most of the reading stages of this book. I knew it was a historical fantasy, but it was clear that there was something more going on. For much of the book it felt like a fairy tale, but there was always subtle reflections on thematic motifs – love, dealing with loss, historical grievances, redemption, bravery and gallantry, commitment and loyalty, and considerations of one’s purpose in life – all wound into the storytelling. For much of the story, the mist that covers the minds of the Britons and Saxons, but also the reader, is mostly cleared in the last chapters, but it took some additional reflection to fully understand what the author had done.
“Yet are you so certain, good mistress, you wish to be free of this mist? Is it not better some things remain hidden from our minds?”
“It may be so for some, father, but not for us. Axl and I wish to have again the happy moments we shared together. To be robbed of them is as if a thief came in the night and took what’s most precious from us.”
“Yet the mist covers all memories, the bad as well as the good. Isn’t that so, mistress?”
“We’ll have the bad ones come back too, even if they make us weep or shake with anger. For isn’t it the life we’ve shared?”
Kazuo Ishiguro chose to write a story that really doesn’t fit into the structures and conventions of any particular genre, nor does he provide what we would normally expect to encounter as the story progresses. We have to proceed on faith that the vision of the storyline and themes will knit together by the conclusion. For much of the book, I couldn’t see that vision, but as the mist was lifted in the story, so was my own understanding.
“How can you describe as penance, sir, the drawing of a veil over the foulest deeds? Is your Christian god one to be bribed so easily with self-inflicted pain and a few prayers? Does he care so little for justice left undone?”
“Our god is a god of mercy, shepherd, whom you, a pagan, may find hard to comprehend. It’s no foolishness to seek forgiveness from such a god, however great the crime. Our god’s mercy is boundless.”
“What use is a god with boundless mercy, sir? You mock me as a pagan, yet the gods of my ancestors pronounce clearly their ways and punish severely when we break their laws. Your Christian god of mercy gives men licence to pursue their greed, their lust for land and blood, knowing a few prayers and a little penance will bring forgiveness and blessing.”
This will not be a book for everyone and for many it will even disappoint, but in reflection, this was a rewarding and admirable book. My rating – 4.1 out of 5.0 stars
An Audiobook Excerpt is provided at this link (click the image):
