The Unconsoled

"Almost certainly a masterpiece." (Anita Brookner). Ryder, a renowned pianist, arrives in a Central European city he cannot identify for a concert he cannot remember agreeing to give. But then as he traverses a landscape by turns eerie and comical – and always strangely malleable, as a dream might be – he comes steadily to realise he is facing the most crucial performance of his life. Ishiguro's extraordinary and original study of a man whose life has accelerated beyond his control was met on publication by consternation, vilification – and the highest praise. If you enjoyed The Unconsoled, you might also like Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, now available in Faber Modern Classics.