I saw the novel as actually taking place in a long-term care facility. Ryder just doesn't know where he is. And since he is the narrator, neither does the reader. He doesn't initially recognize his family. Indeed, he frequently refers to himself as an outsider and uses this self-description as an excuse for both his lack of recognition of those who know him and his distant behavior. People he grew up with in England keep making appearances, which would be unlikely if he actually were visiting an unfamiliar city.
Following this logic, characters like Gustav (an elderly porter at the hotel who is also his wife's father) and Stephan (the hotel manager's son and a aspiring pianist himself) can be viewed as fellow residents in the institution, while Miss Collins (the resident therapist) and Mr. Hoffman (the hotel manager) are members of the staff.
Jim Crace has said that all of his novels are metaphors for life in Birmingham, England, but I also find their facades beautiful and intricate and pleasurable. Understanding the metaphor should increase, rather than be necessary to, the enjoyment or understanding of the story. Unfortunately, I didn't like The Unconsoled until I came upon a metaphor that made the novel work for me. And by then I was so exhausted by it that I had no inclination to start over from the beginning to see if this insight would enhance my reading pleasure. While my interpretation of the novel appealed to me more than that of other reviewers, I just didn't care what happened in the end.
But then maybe I have no appreciation of the role of art in society. As Ryder has warned me, "One should not, in any case, attempt to make a virtue out of one's limitations" (p. 201). After all, this book was short-listed for the Whitbread Novel Award and won the Cheltenham Prize when it was published in 1995.
Article comments
1 - kalyan
I agree with you Jeanne Daniel. It has been an exasperating experience reading this novel. I felt uneasy while going through the book. It evoked memories of a sinking feeling I had when I read Kafka's The Trial. At least, Kafka holds your attention in the sense that you are aware of what is going on, though the reasons for the same are not given. Ryder comes out as an irritating character for whom i have absolutely no sympathy. If Ishiguro wanted to convey the dilemmas that man faces in his life, he has succeeded but at what cost? I wonder how the novel won an award. It seems the author's intellectual part got the better of his instincts. This novel for sure leaves the reader unconsoled.
2 - Tim Susman
Interesting take on it! I too felt rather frustrated reading the book at first, but then as events picked up steam, I found myself engrossed. Just posted my own review and linked to yours.