I really need to read another Ishiguro book. All I've read is The Remains of the Day, but I liked it well enough, although I do have a copy of Never Let Me Go, which I should probably get to at some point. XD Ishiguro's style is so subdued and deceptively simplistic. I've heard that this book is like one of his strongest. Good job analyzing it! :)
I liked The Remains of the Day, but it didn't really stand out to me enough to make me want to pursue more of Ishiguro's works. But boy did this novel hit me over the head with its brilliance. Wow. It blew me away, and now I'm worried I'm hyping it up too much which can end up misleading and letting down readers as I went into it with zero expectation and knowledge of the book. I also have Never Let Me Go siting on my shelf waiting to be read. It just got bumped up big time in the TBR. Thank you for watching.
Have not read An Artist. I was hyped after reading Remains of the Day about Ishiguro. I am of Japanese descent and was amazed to think that he had so successfully taken on the mantle of the English novel in his book. So I approached Never Let Me Go with high hopes, but was really turned off by that novel. (Could it be I don't like thoughtful novels?) I liked your explication of An Artist and will give it a try sometime. However, I think I will read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie first. Remains, The Prime, and An Artist all seem similar in the idea of the main character investing his life on behalf of the wrong side of history. It is a wonder how millions of Germans and Japanese (and many Italians) were convinced of the righteousness of their governments. There were very few skeptics among the Germans and Japanese. After WWII, thousands had to justify or come to terms with their erroneous convictions. This is a good lesson for us, if we heed it. Thanks for the informative review.
I think there were always lots of people who disagreed with the Germans, Japanese, and Italians as no two humans agree on most matters. But how can a person express their true opinion if they will be arrested or worse for it? It’s a terrible situation that still happens today. And I am in no way saying that you are suggesting otherwise. It’s scary to think about where “good intentions” can lead masses of people not considering the consequences. Thank you for watching and sharing.
I loved this book as well. I was surprised it was rated relatively mid on GR. The perspective of someone who thought they were doing a good thing to have their life’s work belittled and damned. What do you do when everything you believed in is now considered wrong? And even if you went into it with theoretically justifiable causes (walking with Matasuda in the pauper village)
Okay, I didn't know of this writer! Off I go to find it. I am intrigued. Interesting to learn now as I've been immersed in Chinese and Japanese brushwork-scroll painting techniques, SO different from my training. I love being turned upside down with a new view. Their landscapes are interior poems, not "plein aire" studies, but symbolic constructions...
Self portrait or not, can an artist ever accurately depict the truth of any subject? Having been one for nearly half a century I have my doubts. If it is its exceedingly rare.
In "A Moveable Feast" Hemingway famously said "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.' So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say." Accurately reporting the facts of something one has personally "seen or heard seems" fairly straightforward. But by prefacing that by saying one true sentence could be something "that I knew OR...." feels like he granted himself carte blanche. If by "that I knew" he also meant other experiences --touch, taste, smell and other experiences (love, lust, anger, fear etc) I can accept that as truthful. Thoughts? @@ItsTooLatetoApologize
I really need to read another Ishiguro book. All I've read is The Remains of the Day, but I liked it well enough, although I do have a copy of Never Let Me Go, which I should probably get to at some point. XD Ishiguro's style is so subdued and deceptively simplistic. I've heard that this book is like one of his strongest. Good job analyzing it! :)
I liked The Remains of the Day, but it didn't really stand out to me enough to make me want to pursue more of Ishiguro's works. But boy did this novel hit me over the head with its brilliance. Wow. It blew me away, and now I'm worried I'm hyping it up too much which can end up misleading and letting down readers as I went into it with zero expectation and knowledge of the book. I also have Never Let Me Go siting on my shelf waiting to be read. It just got bumped up big time in the TBR. Thank you for watching.
One of the best reviews I have seen, or read in quite some time. Thank you for the effort. You have caused a change in the TBR list.
Awe, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy it!
So good, Stella! Love listening to your reviews, they are so unique compared to much of booktube.
Oh wow! Thank you for your kind words, Brandon. I love the work you do over on your channel.
A cogent, trenchant dive into this work. Wonderful analysis. Brava.
Thank you!
Have not read An Artist. I was hyped after reading Remains of the Day about Ishiguro. I am of Japanese descent and was amazed to think that he had so successfully taken on the mantle of the English novel in his book. So I approached Never Let Me Go with high hopes, but was really turned off by that novel. (Could it be I don't like thoughtful novels?) I liked your explication of An Artist and will give it a try sometime. However, I think I will read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie first. Remains, The Prime, and An Artist all seem similar in the idea of the main character investing his life on behalf of the wrong side of history. It is a wonder how millions of Germans and Japanese (and many Italians) were convinced of the righteousness of their governments. There were very few skeptics among the Germans and Japanese. After WWII, thousands had to justify or come to terms with their erroneous convictions. This is a good lesson for us, if we heed it. Thanks for the informative review.
I think there were always lots of people who disagreed with the Germans, Japanese, and Italians as no two humans agree on most matters. But how can a person express their true opinion if they will be arrested or worse for it? It’s a terrible situation that still happens today. And I am in no way saying that you are suggesting otherwise. It’s scary to think about where “good intentions” can lead masses of people not considering the consequences. Thank you for watching and sharing.
@@ItsTooLatetoApologize You are absolutely right.
I loved this book as well. I was surprised it was rated relatively mid on GR. The perspective of someone who thought they were doing a good thing to have their life’s work belittled and damned.
What do you do when everything you believed in is now considered wrong? And even if you went into it with theoretically justifiable causes (walking with Matasuda in the pauper village)
Okay, I didn't know of this writer! Off I go to find it. I am intrigued. Interesting to learn now as I've been immersed in Chinese and Japanese brushwork-scroll painting techniques, SO different from my training. I love being turned upside down with a new view. Their landscapes are interior poems, not "plein aire" studies, but symbolic constructions...
Hope you enjoy it!
Self portrait or not, can an artist ever accurately depict the truth of any subject? Having been one for nearly half a century I have my doubts. If it is its exceedingly rare.
Can anyone be completely honest? It's a struggle.
In "A Moveable Feast" Hemingway famously said "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.' So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say."
Accurately reporting the facts of something one has personally "seen or heard seems" fairly straightforward. But by prefacing that by saying one true sentence could be something "that I knew OR...." feels like he granted himself carte blanche. If by "that I knew" he also meant other experiences --touch, taste, smell and other experiences (love, lust, anger, fear etc) I can accept that as truthful. Thoughts? @@ItsTooLatetoApologize