Ono’s narration drifts between past and present, coming across as scattered as you’d expect from an old man looking back on his life. He also spends time with his grandson Ichiro and tries to hold onto the serenity he’s found. In the present, Ono works to arrange a suitable marriage for his daughter Noriko. His reflections cover the ‘Bridge of Hesitation’ and Japan’s pleasure district known as the Migi-Hidari. Ono is a proud man who dedicated everything to his art in the years before World War Two. In his retirement, Ono has grown used to tending his garden, being visited by his daughters and reminiscing on the past. The story focuses on famous painter Masuji Ono and his family. The book features a post WW2 Japan recovering from its scars and looking towards the future. Ishiguro has established himself as a talented storyteller and I was drawn to the novel because of my fascination with Japan. I recently picked up An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. One of my goals for 2019 is to read more widely, and that involves becoming familiar with authors from different backgrounds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |