The gentle poetry of Kazuo Ishiguro: a profound view of the Nobel Prize winner and his writing style

Kazuo Ishiguro , the award-winning literary genius from London, takes us into a world full of poetry and profound stories with his books.

His most recent novel , “Klara and the Sun” (2021), tells the story of an artificial intelligence that discovers life and love.

From Nagasaki to the New York Times bestseller list, Ishiguro is and remains a master of his craft, a fact underscored by his 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature . The Japanese-born author explores the connection between public and private spaces in his works to investigate the structure of memory.

His novels intricately blend public and private spheres, creating both harmony and dissonance. Ishiguro is an author of boundless imagination and unwavering ambition.

As a realist and absurdist, he has broken new ground over the course of his more than thirty-year career with seven novels and an impressive collection of interconnected stories.

In its statement, the Swedish Academy wrote about Ishiguro:

In novels of great emotional power, he has exposed the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.”.

(translated from English)

In an interview published on the Nobel Prize website (source #1 ) , Ishiguro explained his interest in worldly connections and stated:

One of the things that has always interested me is how we live simultaneously in small and large worlds: a personal sphere where we must try to find fulfillment and love, which inevitably overlaps with a larger world where politics or even dystopian universes may prevail. I think that's what has always interested me. We live in small and large worlds simultaneously and can't ignore either one

You can watch the interview yourself in the following video:

The gentle poetry of Kazuo Ishiguro

In the world of literature, there are authors whose gentle poetry touches our hearts. One of these extraordinary writers is Kazuo Ishiguro. His books transport us to a world full of emotion and profound reflections on human life.

Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki and moved to England at the age of five, where he began his writing career . With works such as "The Remains of the Day , "Never Let Me Go," and "The Buried Giant," he has secured a firm place in the literary world.

“A Pale View of Hills” and “An Artist of the Floating World” were known for their exploration of Japanese identity and their melancholic tone. Afterwards, he explored other genres, including science fiction and historical fiction.

He was nominated for the Booker Prize and won the prize in 1989 for his novel “The Remains of the Day” , which was adapted into a film of the same name in 1993.

Salman Rushdie praised the novel as Ishiguro's masterpiece (Source #2 ) , saying:

He turned away from the Japanese settings of his first two novels, revealing that his sensibility was not rooted in one particular place, but was capable of travel and metamorphosis.”

His work has been translated into over fifty languages, and both "The Remains of the Day" and "Never Let Me Go," which were both very successful films, have sold over a million copies each. He was knighted in 2018 for his services to literature. He also holds the distinction of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.

He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2022 film Living

Through his unique writing style, Ishiguro creates a calm narrative , gentle melancholy , and emotional restraint in his novels. He skillfully plays with time and allows his characters to experience mysterious adventures.

What is particularly fascinating is the subtle tension and poetic language that permeate his works. The themes of his novels often revolve around dreams, memories, and identity – interwoven with meaningful gaps and unspoken words .

Overall, Kazuo Ishiguro perfectly succeeds in combining stillness and depth in his work – a combination that enchants us as readers time and time again.

Life and career of Kazuo Ishiguro

Early years

Ishiguro was born on November 8, 1954, in Nagasaki, Japan, the son of Shizuo Ishiguro, an oceanographer, and his wife Shizuko. In 1960, the family moved to Guildford, Surrey, when his father was invited to conduct research at the National Institute of Oceanography (now the National Oceanography Centre).

He did not return to Japan until 1989, almost 30 years later, when he participated in the Japan Foundation's short-term visitor program. In an interview with Kenzaburō Ōe, Ishiguro explained that the Japanese settings of his first two novels were fictional

I grew up with a very strong image of this other country, a very important other country to which I had a strong emotional attachment. In England, I constantly built this image in my mind – an imaginary Japan.”

Ishiguro is described as a British-Asian author and explained in a BBC interview that growing up in a Japanese family in the United Kingdom was crucial to his writing and allowed him to look at things from a different perspective than many of his English colleagues.

Musical ambitions

He attended Stoughton Primary School and then Woking County Grammar School in Surrey. As a choirboy, Ishiguro sang solos with his church and school choirs. Even as a teenager, he enjoyed music and listened to songs by artists such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and especially Bob Dylan.

Ishiguro began learning guitar and writing songs, initially aiming to become a professional songwriter. After graduating from high school in 1973, he took a gap year and traveled across the United States and Canada, keeping a journal and sending demo tapes to record companies. He also worked as a moorhen driver at Balmoral Castle.

In April 1974, he travelled to the USA and hitchhiked along the West Coast for several months, captivated by the "carefree, youthful idealism" that was in the air at the time and characterized this era of the wonderful Seventies.

Ishiguro later reflected on his short-lived career as a songwriter and said:

I used to see myself as a kind of musician type, but at some point I thought: Actually, that's not me at all. I'm much less glamorous. I'm one of those people in corduroy jackets with elbow patches. It was a real step down

Student years

In 1974 he began his studies at the University of Kent in Canterbury, which he completed in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy with distinction.

After completing his BA in 1978, Ishiguro returned to social work. For a while, he lived in London and worked for the Cyrenians , an organization that cares for the needs of the homeless. There he met his future wife, Lorna Anne MacDougall.

As a student, Ishiguro was interested in detective stories , especially Sherlock Holmes . In an interview with The Paris Review (source #3 ) , he also spoke of his passion for rock music . He had been playing piano since the age of five and started playing guitar at 15. He had been listening to pop records, such as those by Tom Jones, since he was about 11.

At 13, he bought his first Dylan album, John Wesley Harding. In the interview, Ishiguro emphasizes that he admired Bob Dylan as a great lyricist. Through Dylan, he likely had his first encounter with stream-of-consciousness and surreal lyrics. He also discovered Leonard Cohen , who had a literary approach to his writing. Cohen had already published two novels and several volumes of poetry.

Although Cohen was Jewish, his paintings were heavily influenced by Catholicism – many depictions of saints and Madonnas. Ishiguro found Cohen's style almost like that of a French singer. He liked the idea that a musician could be completely independent – ​​writing, singing, and orchestrating their own songs. Ishiguro found this extremely appealing, and so he too began writing his own songs.

However, Ishiguro temporarily abandoned his original dreams of becoming a songwriter. Instead, in 1979 he enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich. This course was led by Malcolm Bradbury, and Angela Carter was also there as a teacher and mentor.

After completing his Master of Arts degree in 1980, Ishiguro received an advance from Faber and Faber for his novel, which was still in progress. In 1981, he published his first short story and moved to Cardiff, Wales. Later that year, three of his short stories were published in an anthology called “Introductions 7: Stories by New Writers” by Faber and Faber . In the summer of that year, he moved to London with Lorna (Source #4 ).

His thesis became his first novel , "A Pale View of Hills ," which was published in 1982. The German title is "Damals in Nagasaki" .

“Pale View of Hills” tells the story of Etsuko, a middle-aged Japanese woman living alone in England, who is reflecting on the suicide of her eldest daughter from her first marriage. The story intertwines past and present in a haunting and sometimes macabre way.

While Etsuko recounts the devastation of Japan after World War II, she also experiences the absurdities and catastrophes of her own life. At the beginning of the novel, it seems as if Etsuko is processing her own tragedy by telling the story of a friend she had in Nagasaki shortly after the war.

This friend wants to leave Japan and move to the USA. She also has a young, troubled daughter whose behavior parallels Etsuko's experiences with her own daughter. Only towards the end of the novel is the uncanny doppelgänger dimension revealed to us. At one point, Etsuko says:

I realize that memory can be an unreliable thing; it is often strongly influenced by the circumstances under which one remembers, and this is undoubtedly true of some of the memories I have collected here.”

He received British citizenship in 1983 (Source #2 ) .

Confrontation with one's own cultural identity

Kazuo Ishiguro began his literary career with his first two novels, which are set in Japan. This fact suggests that he was strongly influenced by his cultural background and childhood experiences.

However, Ishiguro has repeatedly emphasized in various interviews that he little familiarity with Japanese literature and that his works bear little resemblance to it. In a 1989 interview, Ishiguro spoke about his Japanese heritage and how it influenced his upbringing.

He said:

I'm not quite like an Englishman because I was raised by Japanese parents in a Japanese-speaking home. My parents felt responsible for keeping me connected to Japanese values. I have a unique background. I think differently, my perspectives are somewhat different

With these words, Ishiguro highlighted the uniqueness of his cultural background and how it had shaped him. A year later, the writer addressed this topic again and made an interesting observation comparing himself to other authors:

If I were to write under a pseudonym and could get someone else to pose for my jacket photos, surely no one would think to say: 'This guy reminds me of that Japanese writer.'”

With this statement, Ishiguro attempts to clarify that his identity as a writer should not be defined solely by his heritage. Although Ishiguro acknowledges that some Japanese writers have had a certain influence on his work—particularly Jun'ichirō Tanizaki —he simultaneously emphasizes the greater influence of Japanese films.

particularly influenced by the works of Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse . These directors are known for their minimalist style and their ability to portray subtle human emotions. This influence is also evident in Ishiguro's own novels, which often focus on interpersonal relationships and emotional conflicts.

Overall, these statements by the author Kazuo Ishiguro illustrate his unique cultural background as well as his distance from traditional Japanese fiction and literature. Although he is connected to the land of his ancestors, he draws inspiration from other artistic media and develops a completely distinctive literary voice.

Rise to celebrated bestselling author

Ishiguro's novels are often set in the past. However, one of his best-known works, "Never Let Me Go ," features science fiction elements and a futuristic tone. Surprisingly, the novel's plot takes place in the 1980s and 1990s and presents a parallel world very similar to our own.

Another work by Ishiguro, titled “The Unconsoled,” transports us to an unnamed Central European city. Here, we experience the life of a protagonist whose identity becomes increasingly blurred as the story unfolds. The unusual setting of this city intensifies the reader's sense of isolation and uncertainty.

In his famous novel "The Remains of the Day," however, we are immersed in the time of the Second World War. The story takes place in a large English country house and is told from the perspective of a butler named Stevens.

He must not only maintain his loyalty to his employer, but also deal with the political upheavals that characterize this era.

In “An Artist of the Floating World,” Ishiguro focuses on an unnamed Japanese city during the occupation of Japan after the end of World War II in 1945. The narrator of this novel faces significant challenges: he must grapple with his own role during the war and also cope with being accused by the new generation of having been part of Japan's misguided foreign policy.

In doing so, he must grapple with the ideals of his grandchildren's generation and recognize that his own ideals may have been wrong. Ishiguro himself has stated that he has a particular affinity for the period before and after World War II.

For him, these are pivotal moments in history, when values ​​and ideals are put to the test. People must confront their supposedly firm convictions and realize that these may not be as strong as they thought.

With the exception of "The Buried Giant," Ishiguro's novels follow a first-person narrative style . This allows him to delve deeply into the inner lives of his protagonists and authentically portray their thoughts and emotions. As a writer, Kazuo Ishiguro was influenced by important authors such as Dostoevsky and Proust .

His works have often been compared to those of Salman Rushdie, Jane Austen, or Henry James—comparisons that Ishiguro rejects. In 2017, Kazuo Ishiguro was finally awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (Source #2 ) .

It was by no means his only award…

Honors and awards

National or state honors

• 1995: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature
• 1998: Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government
• 2018: Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class, Gold and Silver Star from the Japanese government
• 2018: Awarded Knight Bachelor for services to literature.
  Literary prizes.
• 1982: Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize for A Pale View of Hills
• 1986: Whitbread Prize for “An Artist of the Floating World”.
• 1989: Booker Prize for The Remains of the Day
• 2017: Nobel Prize in Literature
• 2017: Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement

With the exception of "A Pale View of Hills" and "The Buried Giant," all of Ishiguro's novels and his short story collection were shortlisted for major awards. Most importantly, "An Artist of the Floating World," "When We Were Orphans," and "Never Let Me Go" were all shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as was "The Remains of the Day," which won the prize.

A leaked report about a jury meeting revealed that the jury had to choose between "Never Let Me Go" and "The Sea" by John Banville before awarding the prize to the latter (Source #2 ) .

Other awards

• 1983: Publication in the Granta Best Young British Novelists edition
• 1993: Published in the Granta Best Young British Novelists edition
• 2005: “Never Let Me Go” is included by Time magazine in its list of the 100 best English-language novels since the magazine's founding in 1923.
• 2008: The Times ranked Ishiguro 32nd on its list of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945".
• 2023: Living was nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. With this nomination, Ishiguro became the sixth Nobel laureate to receive an Oscar nomination. Only two individuals, George Bernard Shaw and Bob Dylan, have won both. It was also nominated for the 2022 BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

With his works, he impressively succeeds in evoking deep human emotions while simultaneously questioning our apparent connection to the world. Kazuo Ishiguro's novels are characterized by a compelling tone that transports the reader to different times and worlds.

They invite you to grapple with the big questions of life and encourage reflection.

Musical excursions

The internationally renowned author not only achieved great success with his novels, but also demonstrated artistic versatility Stacey Kent and her husband, saxophonist Jim Tomlinson.

Ishiguro and Tomlinson co-wrote several songs for Stacey Kent's albums. Back in 2002, Ishiguro had already selected a recording of Kent's interpretation of the song "They Can't Take That Away from Me" as one of his Desert Island CDs.

This led to the two artists meeting in person for the first time, and Kent asked the talented writer to contribute lyrics for her. Ishiguro's contributions can be found on several of Stacey Kent's albums. He contributed lyrics to her Grammy-nominated 2007 "Breakfast on the Morning Tram,"

also featured on her 2011 “Dreamer in Concert”

In addition to these musical works, Kazuo Ishiguro also wrote the liner notes for Stacey Kent's album "In Love Again," released in 2002. These notes offer insights into the music's creation and thus complement Kent's overall body of work.

The collaboration between Ishiguro and Kent demonstrates that the author is not only a master of fiction, but also expresses his creative talent in other art forms. His lyrics for Stacey Kent's jazz albums testify to his ability to capture emotions and atmosphere with words.

In an interview, Ishiguro once spoke about how his lyrical writing influenced his novelistic style. He emphasized the importance of subtext and allusions in achieving a deeper level of understanding. This approach, he said, had had a “huge influence” on his literary work, giving him the ability to read between the lines and express Terms & Conditions

For Kazuo Ishiguro, the collaboration with Stacey Kent was therefore not only a musical collaboration, but also an enrichment for his work as a writer (Source #2 ) .

Important influences on the literary work of Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro's use of specific locations in his early novels led to his ethnicity being highlighted and thematized. This was emphasized in many reviews, which pointed out that he was born in Japan but grew up in England from the age of five.

Ishiguro himself explains that the attention he received at the beginning of his career was largely due to his ethnicity. However, he also emphasizes that the emphasis on his ethnic identity and the attempt to interpret his novels as typically Japanese are ill-conceived.

Ishiguro claims that the calm surface of his first two books is simply an expression of his natural voice and that he did not try to write them in an exaggeratedly sober Japanese style.

In an interview with Dylan Otto Krider, Ishiguro once said that as a writer he wanted to address universal themes. It always bothered him a little when people said, "Oh, how interesting it must be to be Japanese because you feel this, this, and that," and he thought, "Don't we all feel that way?"

The truth is that Ishiguro is a world author : the emotional difficulties and confusions of his characters – the stories of people whose past constantly influences their present and often alters the understanding or memory of their own history or identity – have found a universal echo.

Even in novels with a distinctly Japanese background, the stories seem to revolve around people from all over the world who are plagued by recurring waves of unpleasant memories, scarred by war, or burdened by mistakes and missed opportunities.

The author feels connected to Western tradition and finds it amusing when reviewers emphasize his Japaneseness. In interviews, he mentions his influences, including Fyodor Dostoevsky , Anton Chekhov , Charlotte Brontë , and Charles Dickens .

Ishiguro also appreciates the realistic and captivating nature of 19th-century literature . He emphasizes the importance of these books as a solid foundation for his own writing.

Ishiguro acknowledges that his “Japanese influences” include Junichiro Tanizaki (1886–1965), Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972), Masuji Ibuse (1898–1993) and Natsume Soseki (1867–1916) (Source #5 ) .

However, he adds that the most important Japanese influence in his work is probably the films of directors such as Yasujiro Ozu (1903–63) and Mikio Naruse (1905–69).

In another interview, conducted shortly after the release of “An Artist of the Floating World”, Ishiguro says:

If I take anything from a tradition, it's probably this tradition that tries to avoid anything obviously melodramatic or conspiratorial, and basically tries to stay grounded in reality.”

He also emphasized that it was very important to him that people were always portrayed as human beings when he wrote books set in Japan.

I ask my Japanese characters the same questions I ask my English characters when it comes to finding out what's really important to them. My experience with Japanese people in this regard is the same as with anyone else. They're like me and my parents. I don't see them as people who go around cutting their stomachs open

(Source #4).

Characteristic features of his unique writing style

Kazuo Ishiguro's writing style is characterized by a unique simplicity and clarity that immediately captivates the reader.

With subtle word choice and finely measured descriptions, he creates an atmosphere of tranquility and melancholy that is characteristic of his works. His precise sentences generate a gentle poetry that deeply touches the reader. Ishiguro deliberately leaves room for interpretation and often leaves unspoken words that resonate in the reader's memory.

His novels, such as "The Remains of the Day , "Never Let Me Go , "The Buried Giant," and "The Unconsoled," are characterized by their meticulous narrative style, in which every detail is carefully chosen. In doing so, he conveys not only stories about life and human relationships, but also profound questions about identity and memory.

The author manages in a unique way to transport the reader into his worlds while simultaneously stimulating him to reflect.

Kazuo Ishiguro is undoubtedly one of the most important authors of our time , and his books are true treasures for all literature lovers worldwide.

The calm narrative style in “What Remains of the Day”

In “The Remains of the Day”, Kazuo Ishiguro demonstrates his extraordinary ability to use calm narrative style

The book tells the story of Stevens, a butler at Darlington Hall, who reflects on his past life and choices during a trip to Cornwall. Ishiguro uses subtle language and precise sentence structure to reflect Stevens' reserved nature.

The dialogue is sparse and often feels casual, but it helps the protagonist's understated nature . Through this calm narrative style, Ishiguro succeeds in creating unspoken pain

The reader is invited to read between the lines and discover the hidden emotions behind the words. Ishiguro's gentle writing style creates a unique intimacy between the reader and the story, allowing us to delve deep into Stevens's mind.

This subtle narrative style makes "What Remains of the Day" a captivating reading experience full of quiet poetry. A detailed book review and purchasing options for this unique literary work can be found at ideahunter .

Gentle melancholy and emotional restraint in “Never Let Me Go”

In "Never Let Me Go," Kazuo Ishiguro once again demonstrates his mastery of portraying gentle melancholy and emotional restraint. The novel, published in 2005, tells the moving story of Klara and her friends Tommy and Ruth, who grow up in a seemingly perfect world.

But beneath the surface, a dark reality simmers , one they cannot ignore. Ishiguro's calm narrative style sensitively captures the moods and emotions of his characters. The subtle tension between them is palpable, while at the same time an atmosphere of inner turmoil prevails. The gentle melancholy of the novel is heightened by Ishiguro's nuanced descriptions.

With his words, he paints pictures of past dreams and unfulfilled hopes – all that his protagonists have sacrificed for a higher cause. The characters often keep their true feelings hidden or express them only indirectly.

“Never Let Me Go” is another impressive example of Kazuo Ishiguro’s gentle poetry.

The play with time and the mysterious in “The Buried Giant”

In "The Buried Giant," Kazuo Ishiguro once again transports us to a fascinating world where manipulating time and mystery play a central role. The novel is set in an alternate post-World War II England, inhabited by mysterious creatures and powerful sorcerers.

But instead of relying on the usual fantasy clichés, Ishiguro creates a uniquely understated atmosphere. The protagonists, Axl and Beatrice, are an elderly couple who embark on a journey to find their son. In doing so, they are confronted with their own past and must face the secrets of their memories.

The manipulation of time is heightened through flashbacks and dream sequences, allowing the reader to delve deeply into the characters' thoughts. However, a certain degree of mystery always remains – questions are left unanswered, gaps are deliberately left.

The subtle tension and poetic language in “The Unconsoled”

In his novel "The Unconsoled," Kazuo Ishiguro enchants the reader with his poetic language . The story follows the protagonists Tommy, Kathy, and Ruth, who grow up in a seemingly idyllic boarding school. But behind the facade of everyday life lurk unspoken secrets and mysterious occurrences.

Ishiguro masterfully builds suspense slowly, drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the story. His poetic language transforms even the most insignificant moments into meaningful moments of life.

You can practically feel the whispers of words between the lines and are immersed in a world full of quiet emotions and unfulfilled longings. With each sentence, a new image unfolds before our eyes, prompting reflection and challenging our own perceptions of love, loss, and identity.

Ishiguro's art lies in making the invisible visible while simultaneously leaving room for interpretation.

Ishiguro's work: Dreams, memories, and identity in the interplay of silence and depth

Dreams, memories, and identity play a central role in Kazuo Ishiguro's novels. It is this subtle style of storytelling, coupled with a gentle melancholy, that makes Kazuo Ishiguro's works so unique.

The author has mastered the art of creating meaningful gaps and allowing unspoken words to play a major role. His novels invite the reader to read between the lines and grasp the subtle nuances.

Through his masterful command of these elements, Kazuo Ishiguro repeatedly manages to captivate his readers and immerse them in a profound poetry full of unspoken words that resonates long afterward.

List of sources:

1. The Nobel Prize : Transcript from an interview with Kazuo Ishiguro , https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2017/ishiguro/158991-kazuo-ishiguro-interview-transcript/
2. Geniuses Club : Kazuo Ishiguro , https://geniuses.club/genius/kazuo-ishiguro
3. The Paris Review : Kazuo Ishiguro, The Art of Fiction No. 196, https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5829/the-art-of-fiction-no-196-kazuo-ishiguro
4. the punch magazine : Kazuo Ishiguro: A writer of the floating world , https://thepunchmagazine.com/the-byword/non-fiction/kazuo-ishiguro-a-writer-of-the-floating-world
5. Mathilda Slabbert : An analysis of the work of Kazuo Ishiguro, his biculturalism and his contribution to new internationalism, Faculty of Arts (Rand Afrikaans University Johannesburg, 1997)