The Buried Giant - Erm!

To say I am a bit befuddled as a result of reading The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro is putting it mildly. I have spent a couple of days pondering its content, but am still finding it hard to put my finger on what this book is actually trying to say. Set in a mythical Anglo-Saxon time after the reign of King Arthur, it seems, at first, to be the story of an elderly couple (Axl and Beatrice), who have fallen out of favour with the rest of their community. They decide to head off to find their son who lives in a village several days walk away. Events and memories are, however, a bit hazy, which you might expect from an elderly couple, but it soon becomes apparent that no one can keep a firm picture of anything, even from the very recent past. The couple are aware that they, and everyone else, has forgotten the majority of their lives, but the two things that they are sure of is, firstly, that they love each other profoundly, and secondly, that their son is eagerly awaiting their arrival. So, off they go, and thus begins a bit of a quest. As they travel, they meet strange people and hear frightening tales of a boatman who promises to take couples over to an island, but always leaves one behind. Taking shelter in a village Beatrice has some memories of, they come across Wistan, a warrior, who has just rescued Edwin, one of the village boys from some marauding ogres. The four find themselves on the road together, and bump into Sir Gawain and his trusty steed, Horace. They have been on their own quest for many years, which involves the local dragon. Memories start to be stirred, and some of the party are sure that they have met before. They team up, but is everyone on the same quest? If the dragon is killed, will their memories be restored, and how will that change the relationship between Axl and Beatrice, let alone the Saxons and the Britons who have been living harmoniously for many years, but of late, tensions have emerged out of the "mist" that covers the land? I want to say that I can't say any more without ruining the end ... but I'm not sure I would. I found this book frustrating and unsatisfying. Is it about shared memory? Is it about the danger of digging up the past? Is it about the kindness of strangers? Is it about moving past old grievances? Or is it about enduring love and how to let go? Maybe it is all of those things, or maybe it is none of them. Maybe this ambiguity (or at least, that is my perception) is the point of the book ... its meaning is what each individual reader needs/wants it to be. Maybe that is its genius! I just don't know. I often read this book with a puzzled look on my face, but at the same time, I never got the urge to give up on it. I really wanted to find out how the quest would finish. Despite my misgivings, however, The Buried Giant is staying with me and I'm still pondering ... and there aren't many books you can say that about!

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length:384 print pages.
Price I paid: Free, borrowed as an e-book from my local library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; audio CD; e-book.