Finally finished Ishiguro - bewildering stuff though it didn't leave me as fulfilled or quite as curiously dioriented as Cody's Shooting the Heart. Both books make an effort to disorient the reader though for entirely different purposes. The rest of this post is taken from listed website and I think summarizes the book aptly. I can't say I didn't enjoy the book, though I can't say otherwise either.
From the start of The Unconsoled, Ryder, the narrator, is continually placed in precarious positions because he is living a ruse. Ishiguro says this is a metaphor for most people's lives. He uses themes of self-deception, distancing of families, disappointment in relationships, the tension of not fitting in, devalued ideals, and words unspoken. The characters remember, see themes in their past, become convicted over the wrong they have done, and try to forget it all so they can live with themselves in the future. Ishiguro points out, "You need a little bit of self-deception to give you the courage to carry on in life if you've discovered that you've done a lot of things wrong. It's no bad thing. There's nothing you can do in that situation except try and cheer yourself up a bit."
from http://www.leaderu.com/marshill/mhr05/kazuo1.html
