You would have searched a long time for the sort of winding lane or tranquil meadow for which England later became celebrated. There were instead miles of desolate, uncultivated land; here and there rough-hewn paths over craggy hills or bleak moorland.
It is a weekly meme hosted by Freda’s Voice, click on the link to her blog, and the rules are pretty simple:
Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that’s OK.)
Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it).
Post it.
Add the url to your post on Freda’s Voice.
The blaze illuminated some faces sharply, while leaving others in shadow, but after a time, Axl came to the conclusion that these people were all waiting, in a state of some anxiety, for some-one or something to emerge from the timber hall to the left of the fire.
Can you guess which book these words are from? It’s The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I am currently reading for the book club I am a member of here in Cambridge, more to come about The Buried Giant soon.
Goodreads Synopsis :
You’ve long set your heart against it, Axl, I know. But it’s time now to think on it anew. There’s a journey we must go on, and no more delay…”
The Buried Giant begins as a couple set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen in years.
Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in nearly a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge, and war.
Author Information:
Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ or 石黒 一雄) is a British novelist of Japanese origin. His family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor’s degree from University of Kent in 1978 and his Master’s from the University of East Anglia’s creative writing course in 1980. He became a British citizen in 1982. He now lives in London.
His first novel, A Pale View of Hills won the 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. His second novel, An Artist of the Floating World won the 1986 Whitbread Prize. Ishiguro received the 1989 Man Booker prize for his third novel The Remains of the Day. His fouth novel, The Unconsoled won the 1995 Cheltenham Prize. His latest novel is The Buried Giant, a New York Times bestseller.
His novels: An Artist of the Floating World (1986), When We Were Orphans (2000), Never Let Me Go(2005) were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Hi.
Welcome to my blog: M J Mallon - Kyrosmagica Publishing. A blog about magic, books, writing, laughter, and much more! I'm a debut writer, my first YA fantasy novel The Curse of Time - Book 1 - Bloodstone is set in Cambridge. I write book reviews on my blog and on Goodreads. I have a penchant for travel and have relatives in far flung places, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, (my birthplace.) I grew up in in Bonnie Scotland, in Edinburgh, and now live in Cambridge. I love sunny, hot places, particularly Rome, Venice, Portugal, Barcelona, and I forgot to mention the sun drenched beaches of the Caribbean, how could I? I am lucky to have been blessed with two lovely daughters and a husband who I fondly refer to in this blog as my black sheep. Family joke! With my passion for travel, culture, beautiful beaches, good food, books, theatre, writing, and humour, I hope to keep you entertained. I'm loving every minute of this creative journey, please join me.
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12 thoughts on “My Friday Post – Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 Meme”
I am curious about this book. The synopsis and opening line don’t grab me really but I have heard good things about it just the same. I hope you review it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and if you’d recommend it.
Yes, I probably will. At the moment it is quite a slow, thoughtful read, it will be interesting to see what I make of it. Thanks so much for your comment.
Kazuo Ishiguro is a great author, I’ve heard! I still have to read anything by him but I’ve heard it’s definitely worth the potential struggle! This one sounds really interesting, so I will definitely put it on my list! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I hope you have a great weekend! My Friday post
Juli @ Universe in Words
Hi, That’s great. It’s my second book by Kazuo Ishiguro, I read Never Let Me Go, quite some time ago, before I started reviewing. Thanks for your comment, will check out your Friday post too. 🙂
Sounds like a great premise — parents searching for a long-lost son. That’s definitely a dramatic beginning! I’m curious about this story and about the author’s other books.
My Friday post features MIDDLE-AGED CRAZY.
Hi Sandra. Hope you enjoy if you read the book. Thanks for your link to your Friday post, sorry I’ve been so late getting back to you somehow I seem to have missed your comment.
I so want to read this book! I’ve heard great things about it, and reading your snippets makes me want to even more.
Thanks for joining in the 56! Hope to see you again!
Happy weekend!
I really enjoyed ‘Never Let Me Go’ and ‘The Remains of the Day’ although they are quite different. But haven’t read anything by him for a while. I’ll follow to see what you think.
I am curious about this book. The synopsis and opening line don’t grab me really but I have heard good things about it just the same. I hope you review it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and if you’d recommend it.
Yes, I probably will. At the moment it is quite a slow, thoughtful read, it will be interesting to see what I make of it. Thanks so much for your comment.
Kazuo Ishiguro is a great author, I’ve heard! I still have to read anything by him but I’ve heard it’s definitely worth the potential struggle! This one sounds really interesting, so I will definitely put it on my list! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I hope you have a great weekend!
My Friday post
Juli @ Universe in Words
Hi, That’s great. It’s my second book by Kazuo Ishiguro, I read Never Let Me Go, quite some time ago, before I started reviewing. Thanks for your comment, will check out your Friday post too. 🙂
Sounds like a great premise — parents searching for a long-lost son. That’s definitely a dramatic beginning! I’m curious about this story and about the author’s other books.
My Friday post features MIDDLE-AGED CRAZY.
Hi Sandra. Hope you enjoy if you read the book. Thanks for your link to your Friday post, sorry I’ve been so late getting back to you somehow I seem to have missed your comment.
I have heard of this author but have not read anything written by the author.
This book sound intriguing.
ENJOY!!
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Book Beginnings
Hi. Thanks for your comment. Will check out your Friday book beginnings too.
I so want to read this book! I’ve heard great things about it, and reading your snippets makes me want to even more.
Thanks for joining in the 56! Hope to see you again!
Happy weekend!
Thanks Freda. Glad to be joining in. Happy weekend to you too!
I really enjoyed ‘Never Let Me Go’ and ‘The Remains of the Day’ although they are quite different. But haven’t read anything by him for a while. I’ll follow to see what you think.
Thanks Olga. It started off slow, but I have a feeling it may get more exciting…….