I have not read a fiction cover to cover for years, let alone doing it within 24 hours. There is something very gripping in the atmosphere of the writing that makes it impossible to put down this book. Strange though, because the stories are so gentle they are on the verge of being uneventful, with almost no drama, but the relevance and fluidity of the events give a sense of slow burning and silent storm striking akin to listening to Sibelius' symphonies - his would-be 8th maybe, in five movements - each story corresponds to a movement with the final one cleverly unifying all the themes and motifs that appear in the preceding four. Ishiguro does not use music to generate atmospheres the way Murakami does, but music serves as a common thread in the book, a common interest that brings people together, but not one that keeps people together. Setting these stories against "music" and "nightfall" is an intriguing irony that makes one wonder if impermanence in human relationships is a beautiful thing afterall, and the author appears subtly judgemental on this subject. A very clever and thoughtful book. I should read more.
This entry was originally published in my private Instagram account.
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