The Buried Giant

(by Kazuo Ishiguro)

A plodding tale about memory, being nice to one another and Sir Gawain. Fittingly, the dragon who may or may not be the villain of the piece is thin, bloodless and apparently asleep.  The plot meanders episodically. The characters Axl and Beatrice are loving and real in their way, but the other characters are indistinguishable.  There is no soul, no gravitas, no depth.  Is the giant Arthur? or the dog of war? or does it have some eschatological meaning?  Either way it stayed well buried.

If one wishes to read about King Arthur’s nephew, try Sir Thomas Malory (picture of the Grail on the Round Table by Évrard d’Espinques, c.1475)