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readerette's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a beautiful reflective read. Told from the perspective of an aging butler taking a journey to see an old friend, reminiscing on and reinterpreting events from his past. He learns about himself, the people he once knew, and the people he meets while traveling. Warm, charming, and intellectual. A great cool weather palate cleanser read, in my opinion--not fluffy like a beach read, but not overly serious and not dark.
sxrxhreads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
mariab27's review against another edition
2.0
This book reminded me of the books I was required to read in high school. It was vaguely interesting but mostly boring, with a moral lesson that was too preachy for my taste.
westiemama's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
joshuahelmer's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fjcrow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bruinuclafan's review against another edition
5.0
A devastating indictment of the ideals surrounding professional success, and of a man's life spent pursuing those ideals. Stevens is a butler with a long and successful career--spending the majority of it working for Lord Darlington. After Lord Darlington's death, the estate is purchased by an American, who keeps Stevens to run the household. But he also allows Stevens to take a vacation motoring through the English countryside. Having just received a letter from Miss Kenton, who formerly worked at the house, Stevens decides to take the trip and reconnect with her.
It is this road trip that is the setting through which Stevens reflects on his long career, his pride in serving Lord Darlington so faithfully, and his working relationship with Miss Kenton. The dissonance between Stevens's summation of these memories and the memories themselves can be brutal. Ishiguro doesn't tell you it's there--he shows you.
This is also one of the best-written books I have ever read. Easy to read despite the more formal English, particularly because there is no excessive use of descriptive paragraphs. The plot moves forward at a brisk pace, which helped with some of the longer chapters as well. I am currently debating whether the ending is happy or sad. I can't decide.
It is this road trip that is the setting through which Stevens reflects on his long career, his pride in serving Lord Darlington so faithfully, and his working relationship with Miss Kenton. The dissonance between Stevens's summation of these memories and the memories themselves can be brutal. Ishiguro doesn't tell you it's there--he shows you.
This is also one of the best-written books I have ever read. Easy to read despite the more formal English, particularly because there is no excessive use of descriptive paragraphs. The plot moves forward at a brisk pace, which helped with some of the longer chapters as well. I am currently debating whether the ending is happy or sad. I can't decide.
janhut's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0