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“A Pale View of Hills is the story of Etsuko, a japanese woman who emigrated to England with her second husband. She has two daughters - Keiko, who was born to her first husband in Japan and Niki, born to her English husband after she emigrated. In the point in time where the novel starts, Etsuko's husband has passed away and also Keiko had recent killed herself. While Niki visits her, Etsuko dwells in memories of a certain summer in Nagasaki when she's pregnant with Keika and knew a woman and her strange little daughter.
The whole story comes across somewhat rambly and unfocussed and for the most time I wondered what the main story-line is and what the plot is (what plot?) and what I'm supposed to take away from this. Etsuko doesn't say much about herself, about the reasons for and circumstances around her leaving her first husband and Japan - but only about that women she knew, Sachiko. But the longer you read the more it feels like Sachiko's story actually is Etsukos. There are striking similarities in character between Sachiko's little daughter and the accounts of later Keiko, she didn't want to leave Japan and in a dialoge Sachiko says to Etsuko that she knew that it wasn't the best for her daughter but that she did it anyway.
Something else thats interesting about this is the view on Japan shortly after the atomic bomb. The way life goes on anyway and what it means for families and whole neighborhoods. Its not actually told much about but its in everything, in the atmosphere, in little comments. In general it shows Japan's society in a period of change - from old ideals to those of a younger generation. From women who were completely dominated by their husbands to those who won't let them dictate every part of their lives. But all of these insights flow very naturally into the narrative without sounding like the author os trying to teach or convey.
In general I enjoyed the book, but when it comes down to it I can't quite overlook the lack of plot so easily. I missed a nice story to follow, I missed a character I could really like. Mostly though this isn't half as incredible as "Never let me go" is. And because these are the two books I've by Kazuo Ishiguro, I immediately come to compare them. And "Never let me go" took my breath away, compared to that "A Pale View of Hills" is a bit rambly and just softly beautiful without really grabbing the attention. It flows by as though in the background of a tighter narrative that never materializes itself.”