An Artist of the Floating World
I could not lay my hands on 'Remains of the Day' but under Kazuo Ishiguro's name I found another book titled 'An Artist of the Floating World' . The title strangely attracted me and the decent size of the book with the picture of a typical japanese lantern on cover beckoned too.
A photograph of the author in addition to the story-line behind the book confirmed that not only was the setting of the story Japanese but also the author. That made me wonder how could a Japanese man write a story like 'Remains of the Day' so beautifully, considering the very 'English' setting. But just found out that he was born in Nagasaki in 1954 and moved to England in 1960. That explains perhaps! He won the Whitbread Prize for 'Artist...'. I can see already that Kazuo likes building his stories around historic times.
As always I read the book with long breaks which means I did not fully grasp some parts and would love to give the book a re-read. Or perhaps the author intends to keep these slight questions and puzzles unsolved in the reader's head.
Masuji Ono the lead character.
His present: A former painter, now old with two daughters lives a quiet life, frequently going over his past, weighing the rights and wrongs of all that he did. Of his two daughters Setsuko is married and has a little smart boy of her own. The little exchanges between grandfather and his grandson were most entertaining. Ono is most occupied now with getting his other daughter, Noriko, wedded and hopes his past does not come in the way of the marriage negotiations.
His past: He was a painter of the 'floating world' of the then Japanese night life of pleasure, entertainment and drink. Following the rules laid down by his master, painting anything depicting reality different from pleasure and beauty was worthy of derogation and destruction. He deserted that life in the belief that an artist has a social responsibility too and can make his paintings a reflection of the gory truths of the then Japan. Unknowingly he joined a propagandistic campaign of the imperialists which eventually led Japan into World War II.
Now living in the remains of that war he sees both hope and confidence for Japan's future but cannot escape the ghosts of destruction either and haunting inner voices which hold him guilty for many deaths including that of his son's.
The book ends on a universal truth that people should be proud of moments in time when they did what they believed in...even if they failed, they had the conviction to risk it all when others sat on fences.
FLOATING: Of or like the lanterns belonging to the pleasure areas that were reflected below in the water, the mind of Ono, the constantly changing world around us, the beliefs that surface but are far reality.
PS: Would like to vist Japan some day. Their culture indeed seems very rich and polite on the verge of formal...yet beautiful. And what a coincidence that I see two Japanese couples greet eachother with the customary successive bows outside Jaipur! :)
A photograph of the author in addition to the story-line behind the book confirmed that not only was the setting of the story Japanese but also the author. That made me wonder how could a Japanese man write a story like 'Remains of the Day' so beautifully, considering the very 'English' setting. But just found out that he was born in Nagasaki in 1954 and moved to England in 1960. That explains perhaps! He won the Whitbread Prize for 'Artist...'. I can see already that Kazuo likes building his stories around historic times.
As always I read the book with long breaks which means I did not fully grasp some parts and would love to give the book a re-read. Or perhaps the author intends to keep these slight questions and puzzles unsolved in the reader's head.
Masuji Ono the lead character.
His present: A former painter, now old with two daughters lives a quiet life, frequently going over his past, weighing the rights and wrongs of all that he did. Of his two daughters Setsuko is married and has a little smart boy of her own. The little exchanges between grandfather and his grandson were most entertaining. Ono is most occupied now with getting his other daughter, Noriko, wedded and hopes his past does not come in the way of the marriage negotiations.
His past: He was a painter of the 'floating world' of the then Japanese night life of pleasure, entertainment and drink. Following the rules laid down by his master, painting anything depicting reality different from pleasure and beauty was worthy of derogation and destruction. He deserted that life in the belief that an artist has a social responsibility too and can make his paintings a reflection of the gory truths of the then Japan. Unknowingly he joined a propagandistic campaign of the imperialists which eventually led Japan into World War II.
Now living in the remains of that war he sees both hope and confidence for Japan's future but cannot escape the ghosts of destruction either and haunting inner voices which hold him guilty for many deaths including that of his son's.
The book ends on a universal truth that people should be proud of moments in time when they did what they believed in...even if they failed, they had the conviction to risk it all when others sat on fences.
FLOATING: Of or like the lanterns belonging to the pleasure areas that were reflected below in the water, the mind of Ono, the constantly changing world around us, the beliefs that surface but are far reality.
PS: Would like to vist Japan some day. Their culture indeed seems very rich and polite on the verge of formal...yet beautiful. And what a coincidence that I see two Japanese couples greet eachother with the customary successive bows outside Jaipur! :)
posted by Zingy at 3:50 AM
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