Review of 'An artist of the floating world' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
I very much enjoyed this book, written from the perspective of a retired artist reminiscing his life and the efforts he made to change his world, especially regarding a war which occurred during his life. I don't know why I enjoy these Japanese novels so much - perhaps it is the rich history of culture and tradition which I myself lack, America bring so young in comparison. In An Artist of the Floating World, Ishiguro captures the differences that can arise between generations, and the narrator is remarkably of a different generation than most others with whom he converses throughout the novel. Individuality and the struggle of an artist to be successful by producing works which will be popular also plays into the fabric of the story. I found myself enjoying it and being able to relate to the narrator, even as far removed from the situations and sentiments …
I very much enjoyed this book, written from the perspective of a retired artist reminiscing his life and the efforts he made to change his world, especially regarding a war which occurred during his life. I don't know why I enjoy these Japanese novels so much - perhaps it is the rich history of culture and tradition which I myself lack, America bring so young in comparison. In An Artist of the Floating World, Ishiguro captures the differences that can arise between generations, and the narrator is remarkably of a different generation than most others with whom he converses throughout the novel. Individuality and the struggle of an artist to be successful by producing works which will be popular also plays into the fabric of the story. I found myself enjoying it and being able to relate to the narrator, even as far removed from the situations and sentiments as I am. I would certainly enjoy rereading this work and look forward to finding more time to read other books by Kazuo Ishiguro.
