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lizzie24601's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another incredible work from Ishiguro with very similar vibes to Never Let Me Go. Loved Klara's characterization as well as her relationships with Josie and her family and friends. Perfect pacing, balancing slow, reflective moments with some very tense plot points. Also, I'm just obsessed with the idea of solar-powered robots viewing the sun as a god since it's what gives them life. I loved Klara's religious connection with the sun and am SO glad Josie was saved at the end - after reading Never Let Me Go I was expecting a much sadder ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Child death and Classism
lonelamplighter's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Klara and the Sun is a difficult book to read, both because of the heartwrenching subject matter (chronic illness, looming death, etc) and because of the narrator. Ishiguro has managed to create a narrator that is both reliable and incomprehensible--Klara herself is extraordinarily observant, but lacks the human perspective that we have (and can see things that we cannot). Because of the gap between our understanding of the world and hers, it is often difficult to parse exactly what is going on via her descriptions, but I never felt like I was utterly lost in the narrative.
This is definitely a book that, if possible, you should read in tandem with other people so that you can discuss it. If you're reading it on your own, as I did, I would recommend that you simply roll with the punches. Don't get too stuck on particular details or sentences... drift through the narrative and let it wash over you. It all comes together, in the end. Trust the process.
This is definitely a book that, if possible, you should read in tandem with other people so that you can discuss it. If you're reading it on your own, as I did, I would recommend that you simply roll with the punches. Don't get too stuck on particular details or sentences... drift through the narrative and let it wash over you. It all comes together, in the end. Trust the process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Terminal illness
Moderate: Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma