Reading Groups

Ishiguro Does Genre: Reading Three of the Master's Lesser-Known Novels with August Thompson

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4 sessions Wednesdays, 6:30 pm EDT - 8:00 pm EDT October 15, 2025 to January 7, 2026

Online via Zoom

The ‘With Books’ option includes the titles required for this group at an additional 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
10/15, 11/5, 12/3, 1/7
Online via Zoom

Known best for Never Let Me Go, Klara and the Sun, and the Booker Prize-winning novel The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro is a master of POV, tenderness, and explorations about the inherent tie between mystery, memory, and repression.

Despite his lauded status as a Nobel laureate, relatively few readers seem to approach his novels that turn more directly towards genre, specifically, his Arthurian fantasy, The Buried Giant; detective novel, When We Were Orphans; and the absurd, Kafkaesque, The Unconsoled. Each uses trademarks that readers will recognize from Ishiguro’s most established works as mechanisms for deconstructing genre and finding nuances within the human psyche.

This class is a unique opportunity to explore Ishiguro’s catalog while also looking at this literary master’s take on heavier genres. In reading these novels, we’ll not only understand his work better, but also understand the purpose of genre conventions.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read When We Were Orphans in its entirety before our first class.

What to expect from this reading group: This class will be a guided discussion around these texts. Democratic, open investigations will be the leading doctrine.

Reading List:

Please note: All virtual classes are recorded. Please click here for information about our recording policy.

Led by

August Thompson

August Thompson

August Thompson is from the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire, and has lived in Los Angeles, NYC, Berlin, and Madrid. His debut novel, Anyone’s Ghost, was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named a best book of the year by Amazon, Vogue and Elle. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times magazine and beyond.

About this series

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Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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