Can the present ever be free of the past? What must we sacrifice for someone we love? What expiates a wrong done to others? This is a great work. It is both a compelling page-turner and a reflection on profound aspects of human experience. It is beautifully written. The dialogue conveys relation between characters in a way that I have never experienced. This book addresses all of the reasons that I read fiction - to be entertained, to understand more than I did at the outset, to be spurred to reflect on things that matter most. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mr Ishiguro.

I’m glad to have spent time with it, although if you’re familiar with the author you’ll be able to anticipate some of the plot. It’s still excellently written and interesting.

An interesting novel, but not earthshaking. While Axl and Beatrice may have regained their memories, mine of this story is soon to fade. I read it because Mr. Ishiguro had recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Perhaps if my expectations were not so high, I’d have been more enchanted.

The weirdest book I've every tried to read. It seemed to be about the post-ArthurIan period when paleo people believed in unnatural events and powers but all mixed up in times. A waste of time and money.

The premise is good, but it goes on and on with not much happening. The dialogue sounds forced and over lyrical, like an old medieval poem or a Greek tragedy. The ending is really sweet, though. I wish I had liked it enough to relish in such a sweet ending.

Wrought well yet leaving me with many questions. I may need to re-read, re-read, re-read to clearly understand who is who among the archetypes... The boatman's presence is clear. Worth the read. Magic abounds

I was heartily disappointed by this highly recommended book. I could not even finish it, and looked up the end on a wiki page.

Really enjoyed this book. It was a little difficult to get into the story for the first few chapters but it was well worth the investment. The characters were compelling.

This book opened a window to a time mostly forgotten. Tribal Europe is an interesting era that is often not talked about, and this grabbed my attention. This epic story includes subtle magic and revealing truths about revenge and love. It questions the properties of forgiveness, and whether it is possible to truly leave the past behind.

A lot of grandiose storytelling for a tale that went nowhere. Horribly boring.