The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro Book Review

 The Buried Giant 

By Kazuo Ishiguro 

Published Year: 2015

Page Count: 362 pages 

Medium Used: Paperback 

Genre: Fatasy, Drama, Elderly People, Dragons and Warriors, 2026-read.

Rating: 4.5/5 😎 😎 😎 😎 

Towards the end of the book, there was a scene where the warrior warns the elderly couple - Axl and Beatrice - that their lands are going to washed with blood of their brothers and families now that the mist is cleared. But what really troubled and scared me more than this horrendous vision is that the couple getting seperated on their journey to the peaceful island. No matter what actually transpired in their past, they are all that's left for each other and that's all they crave. They were thrust into the path of warriors and knights and dragons and murder/slaughter but what did it matter to them, such simple and elderly souls they were? The language used and the treatment people conferred on one another is really lyrical, addictive and kept me going. It really transported me to a world of bygone times where the main characters are not dragon slayers or warriors but an old couple that had gone in search of their estranged son. Most of the people were simple minded, honest and devoted. I loved the atmosphere created by Mr. Ishiguro.

The couple Beatrice and Axl had been living in a village covered by mist. Not only did it prevent them from seeing far, it also deprived them of having memories. They forgot what happened and hour ago and so what to be said of a long past time? This couple were very devoted to each other. One day they decided to visit their son who must be waiting for them on some distant island. They didn't remember his face or where he stayed. They set out one fine day and on their journey made friends with a Saxon warrior and his young protege. The warrior reveals to them of his secret mission in that dominant Briton land. Due to forgetful memories, the Saxons and Britons had been living together in settlements in peace from a long time. They uncovered the reason for this mist and set out to rid the land of this curse. The warrior met near death on this journey and ingeniously escaped it. The couple too played a role in ridding the land of the mist that is also tied with a she dragon. 

This is a simple story without much twists or valiant display of fights between warriors and dragons. But it grows on the reader. We come to like all the characters mostly Axl and his love/devotion for his princess, Beatrice. Made me wonder if the mist is a good thing. Don't we like to have a version of it in our world too? The version that would erase painful and morbid memories while retaining the positive, happy ones! What confounded me is the title of the story. There is a dragon and there is the son of the couple who met with an unfortunate fate. So where's the Buried Giant here ? If u have read it differently from me and know why the title is such, let me know in the comments.