Nocturnes
Kazuo Ishiguro
At a Glance
Five first-person stories centered around music and loss.
October 14, 2022
A collection of five short stories, all written in first-person from the perspective of a different classical or jazz musician. The thematic thread tying these tales together seem to be loss, cynicism and quiet desperation. I found the main characters in all the stories unlikeable. On a positive note, the setting descriptions are enjoyable (particularly the Italian piazza), and as always with Ishiguro - the writing itself is flawless.
The last two stories were more gripping, if you make it that far - but overall it left a flavour of misery in my mouth and heaviness in my heart.