Literary Snobbery

[sartorias]

Ursula K. Le Guin levels her gaze at Kazuo Ishiguro.

Comments

[steepholm]

Oh dear - another case of Atwood's Elbow?

[sartorias]

I'm getting that impression from her words.

[steepholm]

And here's a review quoted in the latest Ansible:

'It would be too easy to call what Ishiguro is undertaking "fantasy" or "magical realism." Critics will summon such phrases to describe this book, but they would be wrong to do so. Such facile labels - suggesting that the author is relying on literary devices pulled from old bags of tricks - have no meaning here. Instead, what we are given in The Buried Giant has the clear ring of legend, original and humane as anything Ishiguro has written.' (Marie Arana, Washington Post, 25 February)

Heigh ho.

[sartorias]

Interesting!

[kalimac]

Favorable review that doesn't flinch at calling it 'fantasy', though it also indulges in a lot of 'subverting' folderol.

[sartorias]

Thanks for that link.

[azdak]

I suspect, given the complaints of SF fans about Never Let Me Go, that Ishiguro is concerned that using the "surface elements" of fantasy shouldn't mislead people into thinking he's written "fantasy" in the sense of following the genre conventions of fantasy. Never Let Me Go was bad as SF but terrific as a metaphor the human condition. I haven't read The Buried Giant, but given that Le Guin suggests it is "about old age and the approach of death", I wouldn't be surprised to find something similar here - a book that uses the trappings of fantasy to tell a story that isn't fantasy in the genre sense. I don't think it has to mean he's saying "Ew, don't get fantasy on my licherachure".

[sartorias]

Yes, this is very possible. The only answer, of course, is to read the book and decide for oneself!

[asakiyume]

Yes--coming at this just from the comments first (after which I'll read Le Guin's piece and then maybe whatever piece she's referring to--and THEN, at some later date, maybe the book (but probably not)

[bunn]

Blimey. Steal a few insignificant little items from the word-hoard and they send the senior dragon after you.

I hope he feels well and truly crisped. :-D

[sartorias]

Hey, he might get a swathe of more sales than otherwise!

[martianmooncrab]

for a writer to cross genres and appeal to a larger reading audience is amazing, for someone who is only focused on Lit'Tra'Shure... sad, just very very sad.

[sartorias]

Ayup.