As Japan rebuilds her cities after the calamity of World War II, the celebrated painter Masuji Ono should be enjoying a tranquil retirement. But as his memories continually return to a life and career deeply touched by the rise of Japanese militarism, a dark shadow begins to grow over his serenity.
An Artist of the Floating World
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In An Artist of the Floating World, Kazuo Ishiguro offers readers of the English language an authentic look at post-war Japan, "a floating world" of changing cultural behaviours, shifting societal patterns and troubling questions. Ishiguro, who was born in Nagasaki in 1954 but moved to England in 1960, writes the story of Masuji Ono, a bohemian artist and purveyor of the nightlife who became a propagandist for Japanese imperialism during the war. But the war is over. Japan lost, Ono's wife and son have been killed, and many young people blame the imperialists for leading the country to disaster. What's left for Ono? Ishiguro's treatment of this story earned a 1986 Whitbread Prize.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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A Japanese artist looks back on his life in this celebrated and prize-winning novel.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
It is a shame that this book, Ishiguro's second, is still less well read than "The Remains Of The Day." This one says more in a much tinier space, and is elegant, elliptical and intelligent beyond the call of duty.
In "An Artist Of The Floating World" (only when you read the book will you know the proper way to place emphasis on the title) Ishiguro tells the story of a Japanese man, Ono, who has something to hide, something to do with the war... To say more would be to give away the plot, and part of the pleasure of the book - as fans of "Remains" or "The Unconsoled" will know - is in seeing how much you can work out for yourself from how little Ishiguro tells you.
Incidentally, the book introduces Ishiguro's brilliant facility for children's speech, with Ono's grandson (going on to perfect this technique with Boris in "The Unconsoled") - quite the best representation I have read of the illogicality, intemperance and, well, childishness of the way children speak.
A flawless gem, a buoyant confection, and a seemingly effortless work of art.
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
`An Artist of the Floating World' is basically the Japanese version of Ishiguro's Booker winning novel `The Remains of the Day'. As in The Remains of the Day the narrator is an unreliable witness with the shadow of pre-war culpability looming over his head. And as with The Remains of the Day the quiet individual has been drawn into the political events which transformed the world. Now retired, Masuki Ono passes his days in quiet seclusion, awaiting visits from his two daughters. He is a widower living alone, his wife and son having been killed during the war. But now it is 1948 and Japan is changing, collective guilt has seized the Japanese psyche, officials in the old regime are committing suicide and a new generation is emerging.
But as Ono works to finalise the marriage of his youngest daughter the issue of his pre-war allegiances arise and he is forced to come to terms with his responsibility for the militarist direction the 1930's took.
The question arises: what is the role of an artist in the wider political arena? Should the artist live solely for the reproduction of beauty, existing solely in a floating world divorced from society at large? Or should he become a conduit for change, a leader of public opinion? In the modern world where every rock star/artist/writer is expected to produce politically conscious work this is a valid and fascinating question.
An Artist of the Floating World produces a beautiful mirage, something like a Monet painting, with ideas and flawed characters flowing together in a silent, uneventful and almost heartbreaking novel. If you liked Remains of the Day then you will love this. It is absolutely fascinating to see the cultural comparisons between two such reserved societies on the verge of change. Kazuo Ishiguro is a rare gem of a writer and his earliest work is the most sparse of his career, he is a master of understatement, so I shall take a leaf out of his book and say nothing more. I enjoyed this book, you may too.
But as Ono works to finalise the marriage of his youngest daughter the issue of his pre-war allegiances arise and he is forced to come to terms with his responsibility for the militarist direction the 1930's took.
The question arises: what is the role of an artist in the wider political arena? Should the artist live solely for the reproduction of beauty, existing solely in a floating world divorced from society at large? Or should he become a conduit for change, a leader of public opinion? In the modern world where every rock star/artist/writer is expected to produce politically conscious work this is a valid and fascinating question.
An Artist of the Floating World produces a beautiful mirage, something like a Monet painting, with ideas and flawed characters flowing together in a silent, uneventful and almost heartbreaking novel. If you liked Remains of the Day then you will love this. It is absolutely fascinating to see the cultural comparisons between two such reserved societies on the verge of change. Kazuo Ishiguro is a rare gem of a writer and his earliest work is the most sparse of his career, he is a master of understatement, so I shall take a leaf out of his book and say nothing more. I enjoyed this book, you may too.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By BookWorm
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Written in Ishiguro's trademark style, this is an elegant, understated and subtle novel. Narrated in a somewhat rambling and not always reliable way by an elderly artist, this is the story of a society rebuilding itself after the horrors of war. The narrator, a former propagandist for Japan during World War II, must come to terms with his own sense of guilt and try to make sense of the sweeping changes brought in by a new generation.
Ishiguro captures the essence of Japan well, and does a good job of conveying the underlying values and social niceties of a society very different from the modern western one. The narrator is a well constructed character - realistic and far from perfect, and throughout the book the reader comes to sympathise with him to some degree. The other characters, particularly his disapproving daughters and lively grandson, are very believable and I enjoyed reading their interaction.
At times the meandering, rambling nature of the narration can get irritating, but apart from that this is a well constructed, fascinating novel.
Ishiguro captures the essence of Japan well, and does a good job of conveying the underlying values and social niceties of a society very different from the modern western one. The narrator is a well constructed character - realistic and far from perfect, and throughout the book the reader comes to sympathise with him to some degree. The other characters, particularly his disapproving daughters and lively grandson, are very believable and I enjoyed reading their interaction.
At times the meandering, rambling nature of the narration can get irritating, but apart from that this is a well constructed, fascinating novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb gentle story
Great sensitive read giving real insight into Japanese culture and their feelings about the second world war, as well as human insight into how we see ourselves, and how that... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Jim Higham
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
Elegant and beautiful, this is Kazuo Ishiguro. He is an amazing writer and I love this book. Definitely read it !
Published 3 months ago by Naomi
3.0 out of 5 stars
A bit uneventful for me
While being a very pleasant read I wasn't enthralled. It's had great reviews so I suspect the problem is me - I don't know enough about Japanese history (and maybe also culture) to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sydneysider
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perceptive And Personal Study Of Post-War Japan
This 1986 work by Kazuo Ishiguro is a brilliantly restrained, but increasingly absorbing, piece of writing charting the reflections of elderly Japanese artist Masuji Ono in the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Keith M
5.0 out of 5 stars
Warm-up for "The Remains of the Day"
In his ambitious youth, a now older man made a commitment to an idealistic cause, which for a time brought him acclaim and power in his field. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ethan Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars
'they may not like his songs and speeches but in all likelihood they...
Focussing on a topic I'd never really contemplated: the thoughts and feelings of the Japanese people immediately after WW2. Read more
Published 8 months ago by sally tarbox
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Nuremberg question - Where lies guilt?
This was one of two books appearing on Amazon's "recommended for you" list: Coetzee's Disgrace and Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World". Read more
Published 11 months ago by Christopher H
5.0 out of 5 stars
A world the reader enters
Superficially, Kazuo Ishiguro's novel An Artist Of The Floating World seems to present a gentle observation of manners. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Philip Spires
1.0 out of 5 stars
Would Not recommend
There is no real flow to the story and just seems to be a load of memories reminisced with no real connection
Published 20 months ago by T Reynolds
4.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful read
This is a very beautiful novel. Ishiguro uses words to paint amazing pictures and convey real emotions but without falling into pretensious claptrap. Read more
Published on 28 April 2010 by Hayles
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