Short story review: 'A Village After Dark' (2001) by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Hello everyone. Today's blog post is going to be yet another review. This time I am reviewing Kazuo Ishiguro's short story ‘A Village After Dark’ (2001). Published in The New Yorker, this short story follows a man who returns to a village when it is dark, having clearly been away from the village for several years. For me, I found I had my doubts about the protagonist/narrator. Often, I asked myself what he had done that other characters had done; or what was it that made some see him as a bad influence on younger characters.

Throughout this short story, I was in anticipation over whether the questions I had circling my mind, would actually get answered. I never got there with some but I suppose it allowed the ending to be open to one's own interpretations. Further to this, I liked this short story a lot. It was nice to see a multitude of characters react to the narrator's unexpected arrival differently.

The other thing I liked about this short story was how it reminded that there is two sides to everything and that you should automatically trust the narrator or protagonist just because they are. Sometimes, I think I need reminding of that second one!

Still... the narrator/protagonist making me question them does not detract from how wonderful I think this short story. It is gripping with curiosity and includes such diverse characters. I am going to give this short story an 8/10.


Until next time,


Thomas.

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