Summary and analysis of the book "The Buried Giant"

Title of Book: The Buried Giant 

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro 

Publisher and Year Published: Faber and Faber. March 2015 

Genre: Fantasy 

Question One: In no more than two paragraphs, briefly summarize the book in your own words. 

The events of this novel take place after the death of King Arthur. The two communities of Saxons and Britons cohabited peacefully and harmoniously after the king's death. An elderly Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice, however, noticed that every person residing in Briton seemed to be suffering from amnesia. They then decided to travel to a faraway village, several days away, to see their son whom they could hardly remember as he had been away for so long. During their first night of travel, they spent the night at a Saxon village where they discovered that two ogres had attacked the village and kidnapped a boy. However, a visiting warrior managed to kill the ogres and rescued the boy, known as Edwin. Edwin was later discovered to have had an ogre bite, prompting the villagers to want to kill him owing to socially-held superstition regarding such bites. The warrior managed to rescue Edwin and together they joined Axl and Beatrice on their journey, with the intention of leaving Edwin with Axl and Beatrice’s son. 

Owing to the complicated nature of the relationship that had hitherto existed between the Saxons and Bretons, these four travelers were faced with many challenges, including being thrown into a tunnel with a dog-like monster. During each of these predicaments, Winstan, the soldier, always managed to rescue the small group. Sir Gawain, the central figure behind all the dilemmas and feuds the group faced, was finally killed by Winstan in a challenged duel. His death resulted in the dissipation of the amnesia that had affected Britons. As a result of the memory recovery, Axl and Beatrice remembered that their son had died a long time ago during a plague. They decided to go back home, but were separated while ferrying out of the island in a boat they had wandered into. 

Question Two: To what does the author's work respond? 

The setting of the book and the scenes respond to the post-Iron Age England. The Iron Age lasted between 800 BC to AD 100. During this period, people across Europe and other parts of the world made tools and weapons from iron and steel. People believed in settling scores through combat and as such wars and battles were quite frequent. 

Question three: How does the author's work fit in with the themes and/or issues of the course? 

According to Alfred Nobel's mandate for earning a Nobel Prize, the work of literature must be outstanding in an ideal direction. To this end, Ishiguro's novel builds on memory as the most significant theme. The book stresses on the fact that the mind is what makes us human, but at the same time allows us to behave in an inhumane manner. The mind also deepens our relations with other people while breeding regret and resentment. The book focuses so much on the interactions we have with fellow human beings and their effects on us and in shaping our history. 

Question four: Explain why you chose this particular work to read. 

Compared to other fantasy genre books that would in-depth address fairy tales, this novel focuses on human relationships and how such trivial matters such as memory could greatly determine the said interactions. I love the book because I get to learn the value of good communications and how to maintain them. More so, it focuses on the benefits of brotherhood and on unity being the chief factor for collective development. 

Question five: Select three quotations that inspired you. 

"When it was too late for rescue, it was still early enough for revenge" (Ishiguro, 2015, p. 243). 

This quote can be deciphered in two ways; of forgiveness as part of healing, sometimes letting go is the only way to recover from the losses we go through. This builds on love as one of the teachings this week. 

"How can old wounds heal while maggots linger so richly?" (Ishiguro, 2015, p. 286). 

The quote delves on healing and letting go. The only way to heal from past incidents and hurtful experiences is to forgive, and let go, otherwise no healing progress will be realized. The context of the quote is in “letting go” being the basis upon which healing is structured upon. Once a person finds the courage to let go and forget past injustices, then the healing process begins in their life. 

"How is it possible to hate so deeply for deeds not yet done?" (Ishiguro, 2015, p. 142). 

The quote revolves around the idea of finding no fault for non-existent happenings. As such, one cannot hurt if they have already forgiven and forgotten about injustices rendered unto them. love, therefore, forms the premise upon which such forgiveness is bound upon, which enables one to forget, thus no hate for something non-existent. Love is the only way to be free, and content, and happy. Otherwise, people will continue carrying the baggage of hate and suspicion that will forever taint their interaction with others. 

References 

Ishiguro, K. (2015). The Buried Giant: A Novel . New York: Vintage Publishing.