On Rereading Kazuo Ishiguro

This essay re-evaluates Kazuo Ishiguro's literary legacy in light of our contemporary moment, noting how his work has changed our study of the novel and its institutions. It begins by considering what it means to reread Ishiguro, suggesting that rereading plays a pivotal role in his plots, authorial style, oeuvre, and, as we see in his Nobel Speech, his formation as a writer. The essay then discusses two indices of Ishiguro's impress on literary study—the contemporary and world literature—using them to contextualize our contributors' work on issues regarding critical method, prestige, the archive, genre, and global capital.