The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain: Lyrics for Stacey Kent

by Kazuo Ishiguro

From the Nobel Prize–winning author of Klara and the Sun and Never Let Me Go comes a gorgeously illustrated volume of lyrics written for the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated jazz singer Stacey Kent.

Memorably introduced by Ishiguro himself, The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain collects the lyrics of sixteen songs he wrote for world-renowned American singer Stacey Kent, which were set to music by her partner, Jim Tomlinson. An exquisite coming together of the literary and musical worlds, the lyrics are infused with a sense of yearning, melancholy, love, and the romance of travel and liminal spaces.

Further exploring the notion of collaboration and interpretation, the collection is illustrated by the acclaimed Italian artist Bianca Bagnarelli, whose work perfectly captures the atmosphere and sensibility of the songs.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Music, Romance, Asian Literature, Art

120 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2024

About the author

Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ or 石黒 一雄), OBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist of Japanese origin and Nobel Laureate in Literature (2017). His family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course in 1980. He became a British citizen in 1982. He now lives in London.

His first novel, A Pale View of Hills, won the 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. His second novel, An Artist of the Floating World, won the 1986 Whitbread Prize. Ishiguro received the 1989 Man Booker prize for his third novel The Remains of the Day. His fourth novel, The Unconsoled, won the 1995 Cheltenham Prize. His latest novel is The Buried Giant, a New York Times bestseller. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017.

His novels An Artist of the Floating World (1986), When We Were Orphans (2000), and Never Let Me Go (2005) were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

In 2008, The Times ranked Ishiguro 32nd on their list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945". In 2017, the Swedish Academy awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature, describing him in its citation as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world".

Reviews

[Carolyn Marie]

An unexpected delight!

As an avid fan of Kazuo Ishiguro, I never knew he started his career in songwriting. He explains in his introduction that he always had a great passion for jazz music and the stories captured in each song. I too have been a lover of jazz music since my childhood.

I was thrilled to see that Ishiguro released a new book, and when I learned that it was a book of lyrics, illustrated by an Italian artist, I was over the (paper) moon… sorry, had to fit in a jazz song reference somewhere…

This book was a joy to experience, and three of my favorite things combined: stories, art, and music. I highly recommend you listen to the songs as you read the lyrics and view the beautiful artwork! Stacey Kent’s voice is enchanting and (like many other jazz singers) feels nostalgic.

I also loved that most of the songs take place around the world and honor the joy of traveling. I’ve been traveling quite a lot these past few years, and it feels very special and sweet to listen to songs that evoke my own memories and feelings on love and travel.

Again, this was a delightful collection of stories, art, and lyrics!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be young again
If only for the weekend
- The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain

What a fantastic collection of lyrics/poems, and Bianca Bagnarelli's illustrations are perfect. Like I want to rip them out and collage them (but I won't lol).

Honourable mention goes to Postcard Lovers

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

i mean...i appreciate the sentiment of ishiguro's introduction but i do find the idea of this 'book' (product really) to be little more than a cash grab. the illustrations are there to make this 'worth' its price, but their style doesn't really complement ishiguro's lyrics (which are...let's say that i am glad he got into book writing). short review to come.

[Jenna Watson]

I found this in a bookstore in Croatia and debated all day whether it should be my souvenir. I went with something more ~Croatian~ but Rachel just delivered the best birthday gift ever. This will always be Croatia, Italy, and friendship to me!

The illustrations by Bianca Bagnarelli are stunning and more than just accompaniments - the images often end or complicate the narratives in the songs. Ishiguro’s introduction is interesting, about how the ephemeral, incomplete nature of many songs is what makes us remember them. We are given just enough details to begin to picture a scene, but not enough to get bored or answer all our questions. That is true of many of these song lyrics. Almost like poems and almost like eye contact with a stranger on the street - short, fleeting, meaningful!

[Dunja · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think i would give it 2 stars if it wasn’t for the illustrations

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[GONZA · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artwork is a good accompaniment to the lyrics, which all revolve, however, around a past in distant lands. I also listened to the record, but it seemed rather repetitive.

I disegni sono un ottimo accompagnamento ai testi, che ruotano peró tutti attorno ad un passato in terre lontane. Ho ascoltato anche il disco, ma mi sembrava piuttosto ripetitivo.

[Chrissie Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual book to start the year with, I purchased this solely for the lyricist, one Mr. Kazuo Ishiguro — he of The Remains of the Day fame. The bonus of this quirky purchase? Discovering a new musical artist: Stacey Kent (and her music-writing husband, Jim Tomlinson).

You can't judge this one by reading the lyrics dry — as Ishiguro points out, lyrics are not quite poetry and often have a different job to accomplish. Adding to the collaboration is the phenomenal comics artist Bianca Bagnarelli, whose work beautifully rounds out this project.

I read this book while listening to Kent's album — maybe twice — and it brought the whole experience to life. Kent's voice is soft and smooth, playful and inviting, with jazz infused with hints of exotica and bossa nova. The music perfectly complements Ishiguro's lyrics, written specifically for Kent's album. The result is a near-perfect listening experience, suited for everything from long drives to dancing in the kitchen.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ishiguro write song lyrics before he became a writer and some of these song lyrics really resonated with me. They were peaceful, nostalgic, and melancholic. The artwork was beautiful too

[Michael Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of lyrics, focused on travel, pick and choose which ones to listen and read along to.

The first of this type of book (poems, short, lots of white space) I've added to Goodreads, feels a bit like fluffing the number of pages read.

[Armando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. It's always exciting to find out more about your favorite author, to know that someone who is so talented at what he does now was at one point attempting to chase another passion, only to be able to come back to it later is highly encouraging. And to explore his writing in the form of songs is beautiful. Kazuo Ishiguro always places an emphasis on art in all of his works, and this really highlights why. This is a beautiful collection.

It was also great to get to know a new artist as Stacey Kent and her husband Jim Tomlinson through the actual music these lyrics were written for. A very cool experience to listen to the songs while reading. I also loved the illustrations by Bianca Bagnarelli. They fit the vibes of the songs and lyrics flawlessly. And honestly added to this book by having the illustrations rather than just the lyrics.

Overall a beautiful gift by a good friend and one of my favorite books of this year.

[Brea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a quick little summer read that oozes European culture and romance with gorgeous cinematic illustrations.

[Cindy Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a total impulse buy at the bookstore, and I am so glad I took a chance on this! I was drawn in first by the cover illustration, but then I read the synopsis about the song lyrics being written by Kazuo Ishiguro and performed by Stacy Kent (there is a bonus play list of the jazzy tunes on Spotify). I read through the book first, taking in the language and the illustrations, and then I immediately followed this up by listening to the music while revisiting the words and images. It made for a unique and pleasant multimedia experience.

All of the lyrics have to do with couples who traveled to various parts of the world, and the ups and downs they encountered along the way. Most of them have a distinctly cinematic quality - "Casablanca" is mentioned a few times, and I recognized other films like "An Affair to Remember" being a alluded to. Each of the entries is illustrated with 3-5 images which complement the action, and I really enjoyed seeing how this illustrator chose to interpret each song; the art style is noir and matches well with the cinematic themes of most of the lyrics.

The introduction by Ishiguro talked about how he started his writing career by creating song lyrics, and it is nice to see him returning to one of the passions from his youth. I am a fan of jazz, so the music by Stacy Kent was also pleasant to listen to while revisiting the written lyrics. For fans of Ishiguro, I highly recommend this collection.

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.25 Star Rating)

This was a beautiful collection which really combined three arts of illustration, lyricism & music into one beautiful artistic masterpiece.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening along to the songs whilst reading the lyrics and getting lost in the imagery. Each of the three forms have their individual moments where they shine but the best ones are where all three come together to create something fantastic.

The front cover I thought was perhaps one of the weaker cartoons so an interesting choice for the front cover. I guess it’s the main image to the corresponding song / title so they were tied to it in some way. I think it kind of misrepresents some big chunks / themes of the book though - the bits it goes represent - similar to postcard lovers and it’s images - are actually the bits I like the least about the volume, so maybe it’s just personal opinion.

I genuinely feel quite privileged to have a personalised and special signed edition of such a beautiful piece of artistic endeavour, beyond merely a book, a song or a cartoon. A very special piece to my collection.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Ishiguro is one of my favorite novelists, but these lyrics, like the films made from his original screenplays, feel like stilted exercises in style. In his introduction, he mentions wanting especially to avoid pastiche and to create something new, but the themes here of melancholy remembrances of past travels and loves framed by various modes of transport are about as clichéd as one can get for jazz songs, i.e., “The Things We Did Last Summer,” “Come Fly with Me,” “Long Ago and Far Away,” “On a Slow Boat to China,” “You Belong to Me,” “Shangri-La,” etc. Ishiguro has merely replaced the jet with the bullet train, the slow boat with the tram, and Shangri-La with the Ice Hotel. I thought that maybe these would sound better than they read on the page, so I gave the songs a listen, and if anything, I found the lyrics to be a plodding hindrance. The songs are too talky and lack the melodies, hooks, and choruses that would bring me back to listen a second time. Maybe this is what Ishiguro meant by avoiding pastiche and creating something new? I guess the lyrics and songs just aren’t my style. I much prefer the syrupy sentiment of the old classics.

[Piya ⏾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

kazuo ishiguro is one my favourite japanese writer who wrote these lyrics long before he became the celebrated novelist we know today and reading them feels like discovering a quieter, more intimate side of his inner mind. many of the songs carry a calm, reflective mood; gentle, nostalgic, and slightly melancholic. they linger softly, like memories that surface during a rainy afternoon.

the illustrations by bianca bagnarelli add another layer of beauty to the book. rather than simply decorating the lyrics, the artwork deepens their meaning. the illustrations sometimes expand the feeling of the words and sometimes complicate them, allowing readers to imagine their own stories behind each scene.

what makes these lyrics special is their fleeting nature. much like songs that stay with us long after they end, the pieces offer just enough detail to spark an emotion or a moment in the reader’s mind. they feel almost like brief poems (at least to me) short, delicate and quietly powerful.

reading them is a little like sharing a passing glance with a stranger on the street: brief, mysterious, and unexpectedly meaningful :’)

[Shu Wei Chin]

Rating this would be unfair, but I wouldn't call this a worthwhile purchase unless you are incredibly passionate about the music album itself and wanted an accompanying illustrated lyrics book for keepsakesies. If you are merely interested in very cozy jazz, with lyrics written by Kazuo Ishiguro, please just listen to the album itself on whatever streaming platform you have access to.

[Written By Shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random grab at B&N because the cover pulled me in. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful, my favorite ones were postcard lovers, and the summer we crossed Europe in the rain. Song lyrics as stories 🤌🏽

[Meilin]

Hmmm ... this is jazz that needs to be listened to than read ...

[Jarlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was beautiful

[Michelle Sarkisyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful concept; a gateway into a special world with something to amuse, move - perhaps even haunt.

[Jonathan Waserman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never sat down and had the same experience reading any other book as I had with this one. As a book of lyrics, which interestingly enough Ishiguro makes a point of distinguishing from poetry, this volume actually links the reader digitally (if the reader chooses) to the song album. I took one song a night, played it online, and read the lyrics. The relaxed pacing of the songs leaves plenty of time to peruse the artwork as well, which I thought combined to form a nice vibe with the lyrics and music. While I’m always more of a traditional prose fiction reader, and myself initially thought the publication of this may be nothing more than a cash grab, the unique experience I had with this book and the emotions it was able to evoke from me make this one a memorable pickup.

[Twisted.Plots · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert: The illustrations were gorgeous though!!

[Sara Portela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I admit I bought this because of the cover, but the Introduction alone was worth the read, and the Illustrations were absolutely gorgeous.

[Lannie_exe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kind of book you gift someone who is not that into reading

[Harrison Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain it is now my fervent belief that all poetry should be accompanied by illustrations, and that all jazz lyrics are poetry. Needless to say Ishiguro’s work preceded him as a Nobel prize winning author, nonetheless I felt nothing of internal turmoil and generally broad melancholy traditionally imposed by his writing. Instead these sixteen songs, although sometimes pedestrian, contain the lyrics to people’s life’s, indeed this can be said for most songs but at a certain point everyone feels overwhelming distraught they say to themselves:
“Who wants to see a feel-good movie / When it just keeps pouring in your heart?”

I retain my reservations of Ishiguro as a lyricist, but then again I think it is the singer who breathes life into a song and changes its essence to reflect emotion. That is to say, it matters not what the value of the lyrics written are but the value of their interpretation. These songs have told me that we should all be rolling with weighted dice in the game that is life.

[Daniel Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars-

This is not normally the type of thing that I would pick up, but I’ll give anything by Ishiguro a try. And honestly, this was very enjoyable!! The thematic unity in the lyrics of the different songs made it feel like every song followed the same characters, which was really cool. The illustrations are also beautiful! Some songs were better than others, but all were good!

As someone who genuinely struggles to hear lyrics when they are sung, this was a really nice and approachable way to digest the text independently from the music. Worth a look! The introduction is also definitely worth reading.

[Darth Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

Literally no reason for this to exist, like, at all except as a blatant money grab. Just listen to the actual songs because, frankly, these lyrics are dumb as shit written out and read like poetry.

Feel duped because I seriously thought this was a graphic novel and was all excited and was only moderately confused why it had "lyrics" on the cover (legit thought it was a dedication or something and didn't think anyone would actually publish an illustrated novel of fucking lyrics, but, hey and clearly, what the fuck do I know?)

[Zhen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to the event, the Evening with Ishiguro Kazuo and Stacey Kent, and finished reading the book before it. It is essentially a book of lyrics with illustrations so it doesn't take long to skim through it. I initially bought it mostly for Ishiguro Kazuo's work, but I think the illutration by Bianca Bagnarelli is equally good and Stacey Kent's performance was so charming. Very nice collaboration.

p.s. I can be biased a bit on the rating because the live music was great : )

[Sarah Kruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dripping with nostalgia, Ishiguro did a wonderful job capturing a point in time and the heavy emotions of a remembered moment. Like little time capsules of yearning for trips long over but feel like they were yesterday. I’m now enjoying the soundtrack and the power that music has to make these memories effervescent.