An Artist of the Floating World | Kazuo Ishiguro

An Artist of the Floating World | Kazuo Ishiguro | complexity unraveled with a gentle hand

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An Artist of the F...

	An Artist of the Floating World Kazuo Ishiguro Vintage, 1989 - 208 pages average customer review:based on 36 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Of art and responsibility

Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist Of The Floating World" is a beautifully written piece of work dedicated to the perenniel question of the role of an artist in society. Is it "art for art's sake" or does the artist have an implied obligation to hold a mirror to the burning issues of his day ? Through a series of flashbacks into the life of pre-war artist Masuji Ono, the novel also deals with the issue of moral courage and the ability to confront the past without denying one's convictions. The language employed by Ishiguro in his prose and dialogue is formal but entirely congruous with his subject. Ono is in disgrace with the post-war generation who blame artists, politicians and businessmen for their suffering as Japan struggles to recover from the ravages of the disastrous war. His association with the imperialist movement exacts a toll on the personal happiness of his unmarried daughter, Noriko, his former pupil and protege Kuroda desert him, but unlike the unprincipled Shintaro who is willing to recant his past beliefs to get ahead, Ono holds his own, yet shows great courage in breaking away from his master's tradition to paint a picture depicting squalor amidst plenty in contemporary society. Ishiguro's novel is simply brilliant and deserving of the accolades lavished on it. Highly recommended.

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complexity unraveled with a gentle hand

Ishiguro is a master of subtlety and subdued emotions. His leading characters seem to wear a Japanese Noh mask to conceal deep-rooted trauma. Such restrained emotions work especially well where the leading characters are Japanese since, of course, Japanese people are known for their restraint (in order to harmonize with others). Ishiguro uses this methodology to glorious effect with this novel's complex story of an artist who lives much of his adult life through a very turbulent era in Japan (1930-1950). In time, piece by piece, he reconciles the changes in society, lifestyle, his family and, lastly, himself.

As an added benefit, Ishiguro does a brilliant job in capturing the mood, scenery, and feeling of post-war Japan. The carnage of the war transcended every aspect of the country and its people. But miraculously, Ishiguro paints this picture with an optimistic (yet not rose-colored) flair which gives the book an uplifting feel.

I think An Artist of the Floating World will appeal especially to older readers. Surviving the war, the rath of youthful "know-it-all"s and criticism of one's peers is an inspiration.

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Required reading

Like any good novel, there's many different levels for the reader to consider. From a societal point of view, Ishiguro does a wonderful job illuminating Japan's tendency to hide its past atrocities or collectively try to forget them. At the character level, he brilliantly transforms the protagonist Ono from a benevolent old man who wants to play with his grandchildren into the ignorant, glory-seeking monster he really is (or was). Of course complexities and ambiguities abound, but in the end the reader is forced to take a stand about how he or she feels about Ono. Ishiguro's writing is as good as his storytelling ability.

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Possibly Ishiguro's best example of his intricate writing.

No author seems able to say so much about humanity through means as fascinatingly indirect as Ishiguro's. An Artist of the Floating World creates a wonderful understanding of main character Masuji Ono. Every heartache he must have felt can be felt by the reader as well. Further, all of his experience is delivered in an interweaving of his past and present, giving a distinct comprehension of how the former made him the man he is in the latter. Though nothing is directly said about Ono's emotions, they can be absorbed through his observations of those around him.

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insert title here, please

This is better than Remains of the Day, only it isn't about a butler, and won't get made into a Merchant/Ivory film anytime soon. He makes great use of the style he's known for - subtle, accurate, stately. This one is a nostalgic piece as well, but the narrative style is more interesting -- the artist builds his story as much by inclusion as by omission of details and incidents the consequences of which are visible and central to the chain of events the reader reconstructs. Altogether a very clever and elegant novel.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8

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