An Artist of the Floating World

By Kazuo Ishiguro

From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day
 
In the face of the misery in his homeland, the artist Masuji Ono was unwilling to devote his art solely to the celebration of physical beauty. Instead, he put his work in the service of the imperialist movement that led Japan into World War II.

Now, as the mature Ono struggles through the aftermath of that war, his memories of his youth and of the "floating world"—the nocturnal world of pleasure, entertainment, and drink—offer him both escape and redemption, even as they punish him for betraying his early promise. Indicted by society for its defeat and reviled for his past aesthetics, he relives the passage through his personal history that makes him both a hero and a coward but, above all, a human being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307829061

Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro nació en Nagasaki en 1954, pero se trasladó a Inglaterra en 1960. Es autor de ocho novelas –Pálida luz en las colinas (Premio Winifred Holtby), Un artista del mundo flotante (Premio Whitbread), Los restos del día (Premio Booker), Los inconsolables (Premio Cheltenham), Cuando fuimos huérfanos, Nunca me abandones (Premio Novela Europea Casino de Santiago), El gigante enterrado y Klara y el Sol– y un libro de relatos –Nocturnos–, obras extraordinarias que Anagrama ha publicado en castellano. En 2017 fue galardonado con el Premio Nobel de Literatura.

Reviews for An Artist of the Floating World

[eoin-311239 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a subtle and elegant book. I have, until now, thought of Ishiguro in the British tradition, what with all the scrupulous decorum and grand hopes. I suppose that is the danger of reading an author out of order. This book was very Japanese in the mono no aware way. This is not to say Ishiguro is not so very British, but rather that he is able to write more than one kind of book well, a rare and wonderful talent.

[questbird · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A retired artist in post-war Japan recalls his career and his life in a kind of monologue. The book is filled with subtle interactions between characters. It documents a change in society between post- and pre-war Japan. The narrator questions his role in the war years, regrets some actions but owns his past.

[amerynth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I generally enjoyed Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World" though I will say my enjoyment was tempered a bit because I had previously read Ishiguro's "Remains of the Day," which has a lot of similarities, aside from the setting. I couldn't help but compare the two, and I liked "Remains of the Day" a bit better. In this novel, Masuji Ono, a Japanese artist flits between past and present as he attempts to reconcile his work during World War II with the Japan he sees years later. There is a lot reserve in the conversations with his family and friends, as well as some unreliability in the narration to contend with as you read along.The story was definitely interesting, though the pacing was a bit slow. If you're only going to read one Ishiguro novel, I would pick "Remains of the Day" over this, but this certainly a good read in its own right.

[petroglyph_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An artist of the floating world is a pretty languid book: it deals with an ageing painter, Ono, who spends most of his time thinking about his past and feeling abstractly confused about the present, particularly about why his family and his former friends keep their emotional distance. His past is Imperial Japan before and during the second World War, when he was a talented mid-level artist working in the system and supporting his country. The present is a post-war, American-dominated Japan eager to do away with its past, actively establishing a new self-image that rejects and de-emphasizes uncomfortable elements of the old one. Ono, as supporter of the status-quo, did rather well for himself in Imperial times; his former friends and students, who sometimes chose more counter-cultural paths, generally did not. Ono, of course, fails to see where he went wrong: he never did anything wrong, never engaged in objectionable behaviour; he merely fit into society and its expectations of him, and is now vaguely annoyed at people who seem to blame him for having earned a comfortable living and a fêted career. Having retired, he no longer needs to worry about things like a roof over his head (he managed to find a lovely traditional villa that was sold dirt cheap after the war), establishing a career, or finding a spouse. And so, from his comfortable position, he’s benignly oblivious to how he comes across to others. I read this book surprisingly quickly: it flows along quite speedily, as large sections of the book consist of the narrator reminiscing meanderingly, and fairly pleasantly, about episodes of his past. Incidents in the present, interactions with his family, and visits to former friends are quite transparently occasions where Ono’s unthinking acceptance clashes with others’ perspectives. Ishiguro has an engaging way with words, and the prose offers no obstacles. An artist of the floating world is a straightforward, guileless, smooth read.

[margaretfield · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Japanese artist who was favored during WWII is an outcast after the war.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro is a deceptively simple story, that presents a knowledge of Japanese sensitivities by an essentially British author. The story takes place in the years just after the defeat of Japan. Americans have occupied the country and popular attitudes have changed. The opinion of the citizens of Japan is that those who influenced or led Japan to it’s disastrous defeat are traitors. Many approve the decision of former leaders to commit suicide to appease their guilt.The book is told in the form of four conversations, but it becomes clear that Masuji Ono is an unreliable narrator, he excuses himself for having hazy memories and overlooks many of his implied faults but it becomes clear that he turned from his art to become influential in presenting propaganda for Japanese imperialism and the war effort. He seems unable to accept responsibility for his past actions and seemingly fails to recognize that his previous actions are having an effect on his family today.Although the book is an easy read, the writing was quite reserved and contained. I felt that the author considered every word and phrase carefully before adding it. Personally I would have preferred a little more passion and emotion in his interpretation of issues of guilt and responsibility. This was my first book by this author and I find his writing quite intriguing so I am looking forward to reading more of his creative work.

[tommcgreevy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An oddly disheartening look at an artist who played a role in Japan's war effort during the second world war, the consequences for him post-war, his family and his colleagues. Ishiguro is a powerful writer and despair/anomie is his medium here...

[bodagirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The plummy accent of the audio book narrator was a little off-putting at the beginning, but it actually fits really well with Ono's haughty demeanor and obstinate obtuseness toward his daughters' views. The way Ishiguro weaves the present and past of the novel flows easily at the beginning of each flashback, but is then jarring when Ono reverts to the present, mimicking reverie exquisitely. The actual plot and themes of the novel, generational differences, possible past misdeeds, and patriotism, are handled with a realism that gives them a universality beyond the setting of Japan just after WWII.

[davidgnp · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nothing much happens in this slim novel but the tone, the phrasing and the subtle characterisation make the book a delight to read. It's clear that Misuji Ono, first person narrator and artist of the title, is a prototype for the butler Stevens in the more ambitious 'The Remains of the Day', and I have seen this confirmed in an interview with Kazuo Ishiguro in The Paris Review. Both men are precisely spoken, nostalgic observers of their own life, evincing a mixture of pleasure and regret, with undercurrents of self-regard and disappointed entitlement. Both are unreliable narrators, apologists to 'mistakes' in some of their life choices while drawing a veil over certain details and retouching others to better effect. Both are left-behinds in a rapidly changing environment. Despite their faults and peccadillos you can't help but ache with them as they wistfully watch their world recede down the stream of change.

[quibee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The gradual revelation of a retired artist's life in postwar Japan. The reader comes to understand his strained relationships with family and former friends and colleagues. So self-unaware.

[stef7sa-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very disappointing. Annoying style of storytelling giving the reader small bits of information in a very artificial way. The unreliable narrators thoughts meander through his memories which as he continues to stress may be confused. Rather predictable as well. Monotonous as the type of narrative repeats itself over and over again. The intermezzos with the grandson are all too sweet and pleasing.

[petterw_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ishiguro is one of the true champions of the English language. Few modern writers can produce more beautiful fiction and see the beauty in smaller things than he does. In An Artist of the Floating World he introduces us for the first time to his country of birth, Japan, It is hard to believe Ishiguro has lived most of his life away from Japan, because in this book one can smell and see and hear and feel Japan in every page. All characters feel like real people. Masuji Ono tells the story, as he wants it to be told, the story of dealing with loss, going from being the victor to being the loser. The novel is set right after World War II, during the Allied occupation after the capitulation. It is touching, funny and gentle, although a bit slow and lingering at times.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, slow and floaty like so many Ishiguro.

[eglinton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Limpid, restrained, careful prose. An older narrator of some esteem looking back, aware of missteps, or of feelings misread but only gradually recognising their import. An outlook blinkered in some ways, but still with an aura of stateliness and poise. Not a lot of action, but just enough nostalgic self-revealing, self-revaluing development to retain the reader’s interest. The thing is, this is exactly the same approach, style, and atmosphere as…”The Remains of the Day”. The sensibility of that book could hardly be more English, but here Ishuguro shows he can work with or within the Japanese mindset too. It’s impressive but it’s basically the same piece of work. “Floating World” evidently was written first, but one suspects many readers now, like me, will have already read “Remains” and thus experience this book as a reprise. An elegant one for sure, but still a familiar treatment. “But again I have drifted” (p151) the narrator admits at one point. Well indeed.

[annbury_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Set in postwar Japan, this novel examines the life and career of an artist. His past is interpreted through the present, as he thinks back (or discusses) events in the past and their impact on the present. He is an unreliable narrator, and the interplay between his perceptions of himself and others' perceptions of him is one of the most fascinating aspects of the book -- not all mysteries are resolved, but then that is true of life. Japan in the immediate postwar era was undergoing a massive rethinking of its culture, and that is reflected in the novel. The prose is beautiful, the descriptions compelling, and the tone quite marvellous. In addition, this provides many examples of a traditional culture that was at that point starting to fade away. Wonderful book.

[steve02476 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lovely book about an old artist both avoiding and coming to grips with history, perception, memory, and responsibility.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ishiguro's writing is filled with such nuance in the way it reflects personality and history, books like this one come to life with their own odd echo of the past. In many ways, reading this one reminded me of first encountering his Remains of the Day, though I think I appreciated this more after having read the other. Ishiguro's shifts in structure and memory within this one are ever more careful and aware as the book goes on, and although I cannot say I enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed Ishiguro's other works, I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

[lemeritus-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ono's reflections - like our own ruminations - swing from self-congratulatory to increasingly self-critical, an arc made more profound against the backdrop of war and ultimate cultural upheaval. Ishiguro walks us patiently through both the ruins and the renaissance.

[bergs47 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm at pain to ask how Ishiguro ever got a Noble prize for literature?. If the powers that be wanted to give a Japanese writer the prize , they should have looked no further than Haruki Murakami. In fact Ishiguro does't even see himself as Japanese but British.Maybe i could not follow the plot, because I was "reading" the audio version where it was difficult to distinguish the various characters, but I found this work tedious and boring.

[japaul22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really love Ishiguro's writing. He writes simply but beautifully and there are always multiple layers and interpretations of his work. This book is no different. Ono, the very unreliable first-person narrator, is musing on his life in the aftermath of WWII Japan. He slowly reveals some of his actions during the war and seems to not be able to admit to his mistakes and also not be able to understand if he or those around him should/do judge his actions harshly. Some may not like the ambiguity that the reader is left with, but I thought the open-ended nature made me consider the book and the time period more intensely than I would if everything had been answered.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I find myself puzzled by this author - he is clearly very talented, and has produced a number of highly successful novels, but I have some qualms. The writing in this book (and in the two others I have read) is so precise and accurate, that it is almost clinical. I think I miss some form of authorial fun and excitement.But having said that, I enjoyed this book. The intro tells me that it his only book set in Japan, which is a shame - I would love to see more insights from this almost-outsider of the country.I think I need to read more Ishiguro to see if I am quibbling over his lack of emotion.

[valzi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My opinion is very neutral. I was intrigued throughout the book and continued to want to read it, but I have little idea why. Thinking about it in retrospect, and even while reading it, much of the book seems meandering in a way that has no purpose. However, the sense of purpose is constant, and in the end it all adds up to something - a complicated portrait of a once politically-driven artist.

[chrisblocker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Writing a review of a Kazuo Ishiguro book is like reading a Kazuo Ishiguro book: it's the same thing as the last time. What can I say different in this review? It's mostly the same: Ishiguro is a brilliant author with a gorgeous understanding of the language; he drops that displaced unreliable narrator right into the middle of your living room to win your affection and confuse the hell out of you; then he pulls the thread holding everything together and it all crumples. It always works, sometimes better than others. This is my fifth outing with Ishiguro and it's always similar. Each time, the primary departure from the previous story is a variation in time and place.What makes An Artist of the Floating World different? Well, in this one the time and place is post-WWII Japan. The story centers on Ono, an imperialist who is trying to find his place in a Japan dominated by the politics and culture of its American occupiers. The story has obviously wonderful dynamics and Ishiguro's outsider status—he hadn't seen Japan since he was five years old—lends emotional strength and believability to the plight of Ono.How does it compare to other works of Ishiguro's? This one falls right in the middle for me. It has a much more interesting and well-built story than the author's first and his most recent, A Pale View of the Hills and The Buried Giant respectively. Also, Ono's narrative is thoroughly engaging. The novel does not, however, have nearly the emotional weight that Ishiguro's two most famous novel have. The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go both carry such an unexpected punch that I found it difficult to distance myself from them afterwards. Ono's unreliability is established so early and mentioned so frequently that I think it's hard for the reader to ever fall completely under his spell. In the end, you're not quite sure what the truth is. With Remains...'s Stevens and Never Let Me Go's Kathy, the truth was painfully clear to everyone but the narrators themselves. An Artist of the Floating World lacks this subtle brutality, but it is still a wonderful story that effectively addresses the changing views of Japanese art and culture during reconstruction.

[altheaann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up because I loved his near-future novel of clones being harvested for body parts! (Never Let Me Go).
Although very well done, I didn't like this book as much.
Told in the first person, the narrator, Ono, is an elderly man who, we learn, came to success and recognition as a patriotic artist during WWII. However, now that the war is over, the tides of opinion have turned, and now many that were considered to be patriots are now called traitors.
Since we only see the narrator's perspective on things, it is hard to tell how accurate his perceptions are. His daughters are shown to claim to disagree with him - but are they merely being polite? Is Ono as important as he thinks he is? (Although he keeps claiming to be humble, he certainly is not).
It's an interesting study in character and cultural attitudes, but there's not much more of a story than 'Will his daughter get married, or will the family reject the match due to Ono's reputation?

[michigantrumpet_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author Kazuo Ishiguri presents two perspectives of his artistic protagonist's life: To Misuji Ono, there was his heroic rebellion against his father to become a painter rather than enter into commerce. His principled abandonment of his teacher and mentor to use his art to support the undertrodden. His dutiful contribution to Imperialist Japan's war efforts, earning him rightful accolades. As learned through his interaction with others, his full-throated support for Japan's burgeoning WWII propaganda machine has yielded a forced retirement and loss of prestige. In the aftermath of the World War II, Ono's wife and son are dead. His one daughter is the subject of intense marriage negotiations with attendant investigation into the family's character. His other daughter is judiciously urging "certain precautionary measures." In all, Japan and its youth is moving on, blaming its elders for the ravages war has wrought.In Misuji Ono's voice -- filled with pride, wistfulness, precision and self-importance -- we find hints of Mr. Stevens in "The Remains of the Day." To those looking for action packed thrills, look elsewhere. For those seeking an exquisitely written character study of interior depth, look no further.

[dazzyj_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A subtle and fascinating portrait of a person whose times have left him behind.

[bookaholixanon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First time through, I gave this book three stars. Recently, though, I reread it and decided it was a better book than I had originally thought .... Just the fact that I felt compelled to reread it in itself gave it a positive bump in my estimation. A full-on three-star book, in general, does not demand that it be reread, nor does it give the kinds of rewards on rereading that this book gave me.

[sbsolter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this short early novel by Ishiguro. It is a quiet book, not that much action, but beautiful in its way. I'm not sure how I feel about unreliable narrators in general, but Ishiguro does them very well and this book is no exception.

[thatotter-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A blurb on the back calls this book "courtly and precise." I agree, but also found it a little lifeless and dull. It did open a world to me that I had never considered, though.

I think the best thing about it is the title.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is story about a change in cultural attitudes. After World War II many things are different for artist Masuji Ono. At the very simplest, his grandson idolizes the Lone Ranger and Godzilla instead of ancient emperors. At the most complicated, Masuji's art is not received as it once was. His war efforts are not as admirable and are now making it difficult for his youngest daughter, nearly a spinster at twenty-six, to get married. Ono does what he can to eliminate "bad interviews" when the detectives investigate the family. But, as one former acquaintance remarks, "I realize there are not those who would condemn the likes of you and me for the very things we were once proud to have achieved" (p 94). Ono's past is a heavy threat to the happiness of his daughter's future. Throughout the story there is the theme of bondage. The conversations are retrained. The delicate relationships are bound by decorum.