I just finished reading all of Ishiguro novels and I think he might be my favorite author. Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go both really struck a chord with me and I’m hoping to find new books/authors with a similar feeling
He’s also my favorite author. Books I’ve felt hit similar notes:
– Song of Achilles/Circe by Madeline Miller (both told first-person in hindsight, looking back on their lives/regrets. Both delivered similar gut punches to Ishiguro’s)
– Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (similar vibes to the boarding school in Never Let Me Go. Feels hazy/nostalgic the way Ishiguro’s writing does)
– The Secret History by Donna Tartt (another one where the narrator is reflecting on the tragedy of a specific part of their life. Similar to Ishiguro, some things are left implied rather than seen on-page)
Some oddball recs that fit that humanist honesty and vulnerability Ishiguro captures:
– Essex County by Jeff Lemire (This is literary graphic novel and I highly recommend it, even to people who don’t typically like graphic novels. Hits on topics like memory, legacy, becoming obsolete)
– The Enchanted by Rene Denfield
– Kindred by Octavia Butler
– Simon Stalenhag’s work (he’s an artist first, though all of his books tell a story. They typically deal with really similar themes as Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go. My favorite by far was The Labyrinth.)
gawdamlush on
I almost want to say that his style is so unique that there arent many other writers like him, which is why i think he’s so special.
but i feel that lois Lowry gives a similar energy in tone and theme.
if you havent seen the Giver movie, i would definitely read the book first
AlejandroRael on
For something a bit like Remains of the Day, I’d recommend Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
Forward-Tangerine-56 on
It’s so hard to think of comps for him—he really is a unique talent. Honestly, my recs are probably mostly based on books I read in close proximity to his books, but:
* *They* by Kay Dick – Stunning and atmospheric, vaguely dystopian (not in a *Divergent* way), set in the English countryside, artists and creatives make safe havens for themselves amidst persecution (in cottages and old mills, by beaches and paddocks). I think it’s the idyllic English setting with the undercurrent of violence/dread (that isn’t immediately apparent) that reminds me of his work.
* *My Brilliant Friend* by Elena Ferrante – This one is more of a reach, but the dynamic between Lenu and Lina reminds me so much of the one between Kathy and Ruth, the constant push-pull power dynamic. And the way their girlhood is written! No adult condescension creeps in—the things that are important to them are made important to the adult reader, and the “small” slights are shattering.
* This one is a reeeeeeeeach but *Convenience Store Woman* by Sayaka Murata was a treat to read alongside *The Remains of the Day* – Stevens and Keiko are both defined by their very specific calling/vocation and struggle to imagine themselves without. Two very different examinations of the same inclination.
I’ll be following this thread because I need Ishiguro-esque recs too!
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He’s also my favorite author. Books I’ve felt hit similar notes:
– Song of Achilles/Circe by Madeline Miller (both told first-person in hindsight, looking back on their lives/regrets. Both delivered similar gut punches to Ishiguro’s)
– Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay (similar vibes to the boarding school in Never Let Me Go. Feels hazy/nostalgic the way Ishiguro’s writing does)
– The Secret History by Donna Tartt (another one where the narrator is reflecting on the tragedy of a specific part of their life. Similar to Ishiguro, some things are left implied rather than seen on-page)
Some oddball recs that fit that humanist honesty and vulnerability Ishiguro captures:
– Essex County by Jeff Lemire (This is literary graphic novel and I highly recommend it, even to people who don’t typically like graphic novels. Hits on topics like memory, legacy, becoming obsolete)
– The Enchanted by Rene Denfield
– Kindred by Octavia Butler
– Simon Stalenhag’s work (he’s an artist first, though all of his books tell a story. They typically deal with really similar themes as Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go. My favorite by far was The Labyrinth.)
I almost want to say that his style is so unique that there arent many other writers like him, which is why i think he’s so special.
but i feel that lois Lowry gives a similar energy in tone and theme.
if you havent seen the Giver movie, i would definitely read the book first
For something a bit like Remains of the Day, I’d recommend Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
It’s so hard to think of comps for him—he really is a unique talent. Honestly, my recs are probably mostly based on books I read in close proximity to his books, but:
* *They* by Kay Dick – Stunning and atmospheric, vaguely dystopian (not in a *Divergent* way), set in the English countryside, artists and creatives make safe havens for themselves amidst persecution (in cottages and old mills, by beaches and paddocks). I think it’s the idyllic English setting with the undercurrent of violence/dread (that isn’t immediately apparent) that reminds me of his work.
* *My Brilliant Friend* by Elena Ferrante – This one is more of a reach, but the dynamic between Lenu and Lina reminds me so much of the one between Kathy and Ruth, the constant push-pull power dynamic. And the way their girlhood is written! No adult condescension creeps in—the things that are important to them are made important to the adult reader, and the “small” slights are shattering.
* This one is a reeeeeeeeach but *Convenience Store Woman* by Sayaka Murata was a treat to read alongside *The Remains of the Day* – Stevens and Keiko are both defined by their very specific calling/vocation and struggle to imagine themselves without. Two very different examinations of the same inclination.
I’ll be following this thread because I need Ishiguro-esque recs too!