What just happened

One of the oddest books read (or listened to), not in a Murikami purposefully surreal kind of way, but in a way where the reader wouldn’t be surprised if Ishiguro sat down one day and wrote this thing as a random stream of consciousness with little or no understanding of an end destination. There's no trace of 'usual' sensory sequence - time and space has a circular dreamlike quality, which isn’t unappealing, but with so little anchor into anything the reader can often get largely disorientated. And then the characters - a mix of bumbling, often pretentious, overly verbose and frustratingly parochial people... Before I knew (or at least had a strong sense) this was purposeful, I found myself getting hugely frustrated with the book and its occupants, however after giving in to it totally, following the book is like getting swept in an oddly satisfying current - there's no other way to describe it other than 'dreamlike'. Aside from the palpable (but from the author's perspective, purposeful) frustration felt in the pages of The Unconsoled, I found myself laughing out loud at the quick, dry wit - so sharp, it cuts through the otherwise cloud-like drowsiness of the rest of the book. And then, through the fog, there are gems of pure humanity - astute psychological, social and cultural observations carefully woven through inter-personal relationships and interactions, that take you off-guard. From what I have read of other reviews, this book is hugely divisive. This book took me on a journey (or perhaps emotional roller-coaster) that started with confusion, which led to frustration, and ended in amazement. I am on the 'masterpiece' end of the reviewers dichotomy. How many books can elicit such an incredible range of emotions. If you're looking for a tightly-knit satisfyingly sequential narrative, look elsewhere. If you want to go on a journey, read (or listen to, the performance is excellent) The Unconsoled.

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5 people found this helpful

A masterpiece

Beautifully written; the prose reminds me of M John Harrison's, and Simon Vance's narration is top class as usual.

*** Possible spoilers ***

It is a long novel and I can understand why people become confused and give up. Taken at face value it makes no sense and the inconsistencies pile up from page one, but once you understand the basic premise, things begin to come together.

The implicit backstory is that Mr Ryder, a mediocre pianist with a drink problem, gets married and the couple have a child. Ryder's low-paid work frequently takes him away from home and this, together with Ryder's bullying and indifference towards his son, leads to friction with his wife and culminates in a bitter separation. At the end of his life, Mr Ryder falls into a delusional state whereby he symbolically relives key elements of his life, from his youth - desperately eager to please his hyper-critical and overbearing parents - to his later life, where he attempts to confront his habitual willingness to please those around him and his guilt at not having been a good husband or father. In order to deal with all this he constructs for himself the persona of a world-famous pianist, revered and respected by those around him, touring an unnamed but strangely familiar European city. In this place, various aspects of his personality are presented to him as third parties and strangers turn out to be friends and family. It is this latter story that forms the narrative of the book, the backstory needing to be pieced together from the unfolding events.

A really, really good read.

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2 people found this helpful

The tension is compellingly unrelenting

Utterly absorbing and magical - listening each night has been like re-entering an ongoing dream where there is that unrelenting yet delightful tension - nothing is resolved but yet you are compelled to travel onwards, discovering familar but distorted scenes and lives. The narrator breathed life into each character - so well individualised that I could visualise each one completely, his tone reassuring and maintaining gravitas yet verging on somnolence - so right for this book. I will seek him out again.

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What happen to number nine?

How does one go about describing this amazing book. Seemingly written in dream logic. Kafkaesque, poignant and very funny in parts (the porters dance in the Hungarian Cafe, an ironing board used as a crutch). I've read it twice before and then listened to this marvelous narration. Simon Vance catches all the nuances in the text and has a beautifully modulated voice, not a crushed cadences missed. Thoroughly recomended. It a masterpiece and utterly original.

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2 people found this helpful

Dreamlike, frustrating and affecting

I thought this was excellent, but I understand people's difficulty with it. The dream logic is unexpected and unusual. The array of bizarre characters with their hangups and illogicality could be hard for someone expecting a cleaner narrative. But I was swept along, and absolutely loved it.

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14 people found this helpful

Beautifully written

Beautifully written in a kind of quantum dreamscape this heartfelt tale of missed opportunities flows wonderfully from one scenario to the next with some amazing characters and exquisite humour.

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Perseverance pays off

This is not an easy book to get into, and I've had a couple of false starts, covering a couple of chapters before giving up, before I decided to "soldier on", probably not a sign of an easy reading. But after I got halfway through the book I found it hard to put it down. It turns out to be a very rewarding read.
Simon Vance has done a marvellous job by capturing the intricacies of Ishiguro's writing. Highly recommended.

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11 people found this helpful

A dream sequence.

Strangely gripping and I suspect easier to listen to than to read Narration excellent too.

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10 people found this helpful

strange but compelling

The main character is propelled through a dreamlike landscape, continually enticed away from his mission. Although all he has to do is perform at a local concert, he becomes embroiled in the demands of various characters who feel entitled to make claims on him.

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Engaging

What an unusual book! Quite how this dreamlike story drew me on and kept me engaged throughout is beyond me - but, it did just that. A wonderful book!

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