"An Artist of the Floating World" by Kazuo Ishiguro is a novel set in post-WWII Japan, following the story of Mr. Ono, a retired artist reflecting on his past political positions and actions. The narrative delves into themes of guilt, family dynamics, and societal changes as Ono grapples with the consequences of his past choices. The story is told through Ono's perspective, offering a glimpse into his present life and his recollections of the past, creating a fascinating exploration of a Japanese family navigating a society in transition.
The book is characterized by its beautifully written prose, intricate exploration of memory and legacy, and the complexities of self-perception. Through the lens of an unreliable narrator, Ishiguro weaves a tale of introspection and self-realization, as Ono confronts his own mistakes and struggles to come to terms with his past actions in a changing world.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include discussions of war trauma, guilt related to past actions, and references to death, particularly the losses experienced by the protagonist.
From The Publisher:
The Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel by 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Kazuo Ishiguro
I is for Ishiguro. Masuji Ono saw misery in his homeland and became unwilling to spend his skills solely in the celebration of physical beauty. Instead, he envisioned a strong and powerful nation of the future, and he put his painting to work in the service of the movement that led Japan into World War II. Now, as the mature Masuji Ono struggles through the spiritual wreckage of that war, his memories of the "floating world" of his youth, full of pleasure and promise, serve as an escape from, a punishment for-and a justification of-his entire life. Drifting without honor in Japan's postwar society, which indicts him for its defeat and reviles him for his aesthetics, he relives the passage through his personal history that makes him both a hero and a coward but, above all, a human being. An Artist of the Floating World is a sensual and profoundly convincing portrait of the artist as an aging man. At once a multigenerational tale and a samurai death poem written in English, it is also a saga of the clash of the old and new orders, blending classical and contemporary iconography with compassion and wit.
Ratings (10)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (4) | |
Liked It (2) | |
It Was OK (3) |
Reader Stats (26):
Read It (10) | |
Want To Read (15) | |
Not Interested (1) |
1 comment(s)
I enjoyed reading this. Its a good example of a sort of philosophical Japanese short novel. There are a number of characters present and it does well at (pardon the pun) painting a number of images in the mind of the reader. I particularly liked reading about the mans grandson and how he acted around him and the way he viewed the changes of his local area following the end of the 2nd World War. This is a thoughtful read, although it isn't a book I found I could skim read easily, it took a bit of time but it was a worthwhile read nevertheless.
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An Artist of the Floating World?
About the Author:
KAZUO ISHIGURO was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honors around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the…
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