A Pale View of Hills

Book cover of A Pale View of Hills

Book description

From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize–winning novel The Remains of the Day

Here is the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. In a novel where past and present…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked A Pale View of Hills as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

David Clensy

Author

A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro is a thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of memory, guilt, and the impact of the past on the present.

The story follows Etsuko, a middle-aged Japanese woman living in England, as she reflects on her life in post-World War II Nagasaki. Through her recollections, Etsuko recounts her friendship with Sachiko, a fellow survivor, and Sachiko's troubled daughter, Mariko.

As Etsuko navigates her memories, the narrative explores the complexities of rebuilding life after trauma and the haunting nature of unresolved grief. Ishiguro's debut novel is marked by its subtle, evocative prose and…

From David's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Alice Neikirk

Author

On one of our first dates, my future husband gave me a book by Kazuo Ishiguro – it was love! Both with the future husband and the amazing author.

Ishiguro has a gift for cutting to the kernel of what it means to love, in a way that is beautiful and heartbreaking but in away that avoids being overly sentimental. When I first read A View of Pale Hills, a story centered on a woman reflecting on her time in Nagasaki before she moved to England, I was mesmerized.

I wanted to give the book to everyone I knew,…

From Alice's list on cross-cultural interactions.

The Fornax Assassin

By J.C. Gemmell,

Book cover of The Fornax Assassin

New book alert!

What is my book about?

In 2038 a devastating pandemic sweeps across the world. Two decades later, Britain remains the epicenter for the Fornax variant, annexed by a terrified global community.

David Malik is as careful as any man to avoid contact with the virus. But when his sister tests positive as an asymptomatic carrier, she must relocate to Fornax Island to join the isolated population of contagious untreatables. Fortunately, the British prime minister’s latest manifesto includes reintegrating the islanders with the nation. Yet, he does not survive a visit to Fornax Island to unveil his new policies.

The military suspects one of its junior…

The Fornax Assassin

By J.C. Gemmell,

What is this book about?

2038: a devastating pandemic sweeps across the world. Two decades later, Britain remains the epicentre for the fornax variant, annexed by a terrified global community.

David Malik is as careful as any man to avoid contact with the virus. But when his sister tests positive as an asymptomatic carrier, she must relocate to Fornax Island to join the isolated population of contagious-untreatables.

Fortunately, the British prime minister’s latest manifesto includes reintegrating the islanders with the nation. Yet, he does not survive a visit to Fornax Island to unveil his new policies.

The military suspects one of its junior officers is…

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