2018- December - The buried Giant

The Buried Giant -Ishiguru

Following the death of King Arthur, Saxons and Britons live in harmony. Along with everyone else in their village, Axl and Beatrice, an elderly Briton couple, suffer from severe selective amnesia that they call the 'mist'. Although barely able to remember, they feel sure that they once had a son, and they decide to travel to a village several days' walk away to seek him out. They stay at a Saxon village where two ogres have dragged off a boy named Edwin. A visiting Saxon warrior, Wistan, kills the ogres and rescues Edwin who is discovered to have a wound, believed to be an ogre-bite. The superstitious villagers attempt to kill the boy, but Wistan rescues him and joins Axl and Beatrice on their journey, hoping to leave Edwin at the son's village.

The group heads to a monastery to consult with Jonus, a wise monk, about a pain in Beatrice's side. They meet the elderly Sir Gawain, nephew of King Arthur, who was tasked decades ago with slaying the she-dragon Querig, but who has never succeeded. Wistan reveals that he was sent by the Saxon king to slay Querig out of concern that she would be used by Lord Brennus, king of the Britons, to kill Saxons. The travellers are treated with hospitality at the monastery, but are informed by Jonus that most of the monks are corrupt. Sir Gawain has spoken to the abbot, believing he will protect the four. Instead, the abbot informs Lord Brennus who sends soldiers to murder them. Sir Gawain realises that the monastery was originally built as a fort, and he makes use of its structure to trap and kill the soldiers. They escape.

Sir Gawain, riding on alone, recalls how, many years earlier, King Arthur had ordered the extermination of many Saxon villages. The massacre had been a betrayal of the peace-treaties brokered by Axl, who had at the time been Arthur's envoy, although he has now forgotten it. Arthur also ordered that Querig be brought to the lair where she now lives, and that a spell be cast turning her breath into an oblivion-inducing mist, causing the Saxons to forget about the massacres.

Axl and Beatrice become separated from Wistan and Edwin, and they travel on alone. They are persuaded by a girl to take a poisoned goat to Querig's lair. Sir Gawain joins them and shows the way. Travelling with Wistan, Edwin has been hearing a voice that he identifies as his lost mother, calling him to her. Wistan realises that Edwin's wound has been caused by a baby dragon and that Edwin can lead him to Querig. As they approach, Edwin becomes increasingly crazed, and has to be restrained.

Sir Gawain reveals that his duty was not in fact to slay Querig, but to protect her in order to maintain the mist. Wistan challenges Gawain to a duel and kills him. He proceeds to slay Querig causing Edwin's madness to depart and the mist to dissipate, restoring the people's memories. He laments that "the giant, once well buried, now stirs": his action will cause the old animosities between Saxon and Briton to return, leading to a new war.

Axl and Beatrice are finally able to recall that their son had died many years ago of the plague. They meet a ferryman who offers to row the old couple over to an island where they can be close to him in perpetuity. Normally, he says, married couples have to dwell on the island separately and always apart, but in rare cases couples whose love is deep and profound may remain together. The ferryman tells Axl and Beatrice that they qualify, but as they are about to be rowed over the waves increase and he informs them that he can carry only one person at a time. Axl is suspicious that the ferryman intends to trick them into separating forever, but Beatrice believes the man to be truthful and asks Axl to wait on the shore while she is taken over. The novel ends without resolution, as Axl reluctantly agrees.

My Review

As a fantasy (- a bit in the style of the Hobbit?) This was not a book I particularly enjoyed. I found the progress of the story very slow – although I could see that Ishiguro uses some beautiful language. And the love that Axl and Beatrice have for each other is very touching.

Although the description of the descent through the tunnel and the killing of the monster was exciting, overall I found the effect of the book on me was to engender a real feeling of melancholy so ended up leaving out a chunk after the escape from the monastery. I’m sure that the book is full of symbolism but sadly this was lost on me.

I thought the characters were well drawn, and there was a definite if slow moving storyline. The skilled use of language roused a range of emotions but I suppose I just like my reading rooted in greater reality!

On that basis I would give it 7.

Margaret: I agree with Maggie about The Buried Giant, bored me to tears in the end Give that a 5

Peter M The Buried Giant:

A tale woven around an old couple in Saxon/Briton and Arthurian times. Is it an allegory of religion? an old couple whose memory is dimmed are finding their way to their son's village and keep meeting Sir Gawain of Arthurian fame and Wistan a Saxon knight. There has been peace of a sort since the dragon Querig has been around, and Sir Gawain is supposed to protect her, while Wistan wants to slay her. If slain peoples memory will return and they will remember Saxon/Briton fights and slights and start fighting again, But the old couple will remember the way to their son, and have their memories back. Good Memories or evil ones? Mark: 6.

Margaret:

Read both books, quite enjoyed The Private Patient Give that a 7

Best Wishes, Margaret..