I hear you. I agree. That said, since 2000, more and more publishers are owned by fewer and fewer conglomerates. An increasingly small number people determine what is published, what is promoted--what gets seen, reviewed, talked about, read. There is also, arguably, a kind of homogenization going on. All of this reduces a reader's real choices nowadays, or at least it makes finding real choices difficult. I try pretty hard to find novels that I like written by people who are alive and well and working today, but increasingly my finds are in the peripheries--and rare.
He's an absolutely outstanding author. I almost put The Buried Giant on my list but the ending just left me a bit unsatisfied. I just finished The Remains of the Day by Ishiguro and you may like that one if you haven't read it already. If it had been a 21st century novel I would've included it on my list but it came out in 1989. It's about a butler in mid 20th century England and I love all of the double negatives he uses in his speech. It's such a quintessentially early 20th century English manner of speaking. 'A not insignificant amount of dust atop the trophy cabinet left me perturbed.' Or 'Although his lordship was not inconsiderate to her ladyship in the least, I found his countenance to be quite somber as they discussed their afternoon activities over tea.' You just can't help but read sentences like that in an English accent haha.
I loved the Buried Giant, I think I preferred it to Remains of the Day honestly!
My 3 faves by him are:
Same as @jaingorenard I preferred The Buried Giant to The Remains Of The Day.
