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kadbee's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism and Bullying
georgia59's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Despite the many outside scenes in this book and the movement between the city and the country, it felt a very claustrophobic novel, perhaps owing, in part, to its sparse and vague depiction of life in this dystopian world. In keeping with that tone the dialogue and interactions between characters seemed somewhat unnatural and stilted (almost akin to our now outdated idea of how robots interact?) and there seemed to be little colour in the narrative (despite the Sun's omnipresence in the book).
I wasn't wholly convinced by the depiction of AFs, Klara's AF nature seeming to serve the narrative - astute one moment, uncomprehending the next. I grant that she was still learning but it still didn't ring true. On many occasions she seemed to have an awful lot of difficulty computing what she was seeing before her which, to this inexperienced science fiction reader at least, is pretty basic stuff I would think.
Having said all that it was a compulsive read and I was delighted with Ishiguro's original and unpredictable plot turns. I had no idea where the story was going and that's such a rare experience these days.
I wasn't wholly convinced by the depiction of AFs, Klara's AF nature seeming to serve the narrative - astute one moment, uncomprehending the next. I grant that she was still learning but it still didn't ring true. On many occasions she seemed to have an awful lot of difficulty computing what she was seeing before her which, to this inexperienced science fiction reader at least, is pretty basic stuff I would think.
Having said all that it was a compulsive read and I was delighted with Ishiguro's original and unpredictable plot turns. I had no idea where the story was going and that's such a rare experience these days.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Grief
jefferz's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For two hundred pages I questioned why I was reading Klara and the Sun which for the most part, is a introspective and quiet story of an AF (artificial friend, think of M3gan without the horror malfunctioning) observing and learning from human activity around in her adopted household. An artificial friend resembling a doll of sorts, Klara spends an awful lot of time thinking about the sun (yes there's reasons for that) and watching over a young but weak girl named Josie and her childhood life. However, there are signs and a slow foreboding sense that nothing's is quite right but it takes a close look to notice it under Klara's well-meaning yet unreliable narration.
(On an unrelated note this book was an absolute pain to get and read for me locally, I had to wait 6 months on a library hardcopy waitlist and the ebook copy I had a hold for still currently has a 20+ week wait).
To say anymore would potentially give away the surprises and dark developments left in the last 100 pages, but needless to say things go dystopian really really fast. I'm accustomed to the more stereotypical takes on the dystopian genres such as oppressively political regimes (ie. The Giver, Hunger Games Series, 1984) or the scifi-infused variety (ie. Snowpiercer, Elysium, Severence), but this is the first time I read or watched this unique flavor or futuristic dystopia. Ishiguro is known for this type of sci-fi work, but Klara and the Sun's dystopia is devoid of violence, politics (in a bureaucratic manner), mass death/kills, etc. Instead it focuses on a not so distant future where AI/AF develop the skills to emulate and ultimately replace humanity, where children are genetically modified to enhance their intelligence with potentially lethal drawbacks, and people lose touch of their reality. It's dark topics but not in the traditional sense at all.
While I was on the fence for most of the book, the last 100 pages really reminded me a lot of Flowers for Algernon in that both novels feature a hopeful yet naïve protagonist who don't quite see the world and people around them for what it is. The prose is simplistic and childlike but that's 100% by design. Ishiguro nails both the wonder children experience when seeing new things as well how impressionable they can be. Needless to say every adult human and parent in this novel is heavily flawed, morally questionable and you will either be caught in disbelief or horror at the things they say or worse, what they believe similar to Charlie in Flowers for Algernon slowly discovering that nobody in his life was who he thought they were (the difference is you the reader sees the horror of the situation while Klara's AI/AF understanding doesn't).
I have the feeling most readers will gloss over it but apart from the obvious topics of AI, I found there to be some interesting unrelated commentary and metaphors. Early in the story Klara witnesses what could be considered a miracle, elevating the sun from a mere energy source (think of it like a solar battery for her) to something akin to a religion that gives her hope and faith. There are also trace elements of fascism and social inequality based on the "lifted" nature of children vs natural non-lifted and even bits of grassroot, alternative lifestyle/aspirational life goals. SpoilerKlara's eventual slow "fade" is also presented in a way that to me resembles dementia with the visual description memories and context blurring together and the physical loss of motion. This may carry more mileage for me as one of my grandparents' dementia is accelerating. These are less developed than themes already presented, but their inclusion elevates it's narrative and commentary for me well beyond the typical "resist the brainwashing and rise up in arms!" tropes of the genre. Anyone who says Klara and the Sun is simple or half-baked wasn't paying attention or cant read between the lines. There are also some truly great quotes:
(On an unrelated note this book was an absolute pain to get and read for me locally, I had to wait 6 months on a library hardcopy waitlist and the ebook copy I had a hold for still currently has a 20+ week wait).
To say anymore would potentially give away the surprises and dark developments left in the last 100 pages, but needless to say things go dystopian really really fast. I'm accustomed to the more stereotypical takes on the dystopian genres such as oppressively political regimes (ie. The Giver, Hunger Games Series, 1984) or the scifi-infused variety (ie. Snowpiercer, Elysium, Severence), but this is the first time I read or watched this unique flavor or futuristic dystopia. Ishiguro is known for this type of sci-fi work, but Klara and the Sun's dystopia is devoid of violence, politics (in a bureaucratic manner), mass death/kills, etc. Instead it focuses on a not so distant future where AI/AF develop the skills to emulate and ultimately replace humanity, where children are genetically modified to enhance their intelligence with potentially lethal drawbacks, and people lose touch of their reality. It's dark topics but not in the traditional sense at all.
While I was on the fence for most of the book, the last 100 pages really reminded me a lot of Flowers for Algernon in that both novels feature a hopeful yet naïve protagonist who don't quite see the world and people around them for what it is. The prose is simplistic and childlike but that's 100% by design. Ishiguro nails both the wonder children experience when seeing new things as well how impressionable they can be. Needless to say every adult human and parent in this novel is heavily flawed, morally questionable and you will either be caught in disbelief or horror at the things they say or worse, what they believe similar to Charlie in Flowers for Algernon slowly discovering that nobody in his life was who he thought they were (the difference is you the reader sees the horror of the situation while Klara's AI/AF understanding doesn't).
I have the feeling most readers will gloss over it but apart from the obvious topics of AI, I found there to be some interesting unrelated commentary and metaphors. Early in the story Klara witnesses what could be considered a miracle, elevating the sun from a mere energy source (think of it like a solar battery for her) to something akin to a religion that gives her hope and faith. There are also trace elements of fascism and social inequality based on the "lifted" nature of children vs natural non-lifted and even bits of grassroot, alternative lifestyle/aspirational life goals. SpoilerKlara's eventual slow "fade" is also presented in a way that to me resembles dementia with the visual description memories and context blurring together and the physical loss of motion. This may carry more mileage for me as one of my grandparents' dementia is accelerating. These are less developed than themes already presented, but their inclusion elevates it's narrative and commentary for me well beyond the typical "resist the brainwashing and rise up in arms!" tropes of the genre. Anyone who says Klara and the Sun is simple or half-baked wasn't paying attention or cant read between the lines. There are also some truly great quotes:
SpoilerMr Capaldi believed there was nothing special inside Josie that couldn't be continued. He told the Mother he'd searched and searched and found nothing like that. But I believe now he was searching in the wrong place. There was something very special, but it wasn't inside Josie. It was inside those who loved her.
-Klara
To say the least Klara and the Sun can be polarizing; my own experience and journey reading Klara was polarizing itself. While it certainly wasn't the most enjoyable read in the moment with its slow deliberate build-up into it's grimly dark (and very current/relevant) concepts questioning humanity, artificial intelligence, and technology, it's certainly a novel I am thankful to have read and experienced. And again while trying to avoid spoilers, the final part also heavily captures the same emotional ending and impact Flowers for Algernon did for me years ago with Klara's journey reaching its sunset (sorry the sun pun was too tempting).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Grief and Classism
333amreen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-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
3.5
The first half was really hard to get through because it felt like the whole purpose of the book was basically just Klara observing here surroundings & so I often thought of DNF-ing the book, but I'm so glad I continued reading. Little did I know how meaningful those observations would prove to be & so the latter half really got me thinking. I think this book conveys a beautiful and thought provoking insight into the human heart, I don't mean simply the organ obviously. I'm speaking in the poetic sense. The human heart. I do infact think there is such a thing, something that makes each of us special and individual.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abandonment, and Classism
sandramarinis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book really made me reflect on ethical dilemmas related to AI-technology. I never thought I would love a robot so much, but I ended up really liking Klara and wanting her to have her needs met. It's so weird since she technically doesn't have feelings like humans do, but she still has a strong moral compass which almost seems like human emotions. It's hard to explain this book. For some reason I feel like this book would've made an even bigger impression on me if the ending was darker and unhappy. I didn't feel like it needed the happy ending, but that's just my personal opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Emotional abuse and Abandonment
river_jean_sterling's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
I read The Remains of the Day ages ago and struggled to stay engaged. So I was expecting something just as sludgy, but you’d one was endearing and so distant. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Classism
dsalazar's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Klara and the Sun was recommended to me by someone after I told them I read Murakami. This was a light, quick read that was really enjoyable and had just enough depth to make you think. It focuses a lot on the idea of loneliness and what people do to avoid it, but also what it even means to be a person. What I liked the most was that there was a good balance of world building around the concept of humanoid robots and character development. It’s a short book so it didn’t go very deep, but it gave just enough to keep me invested. Will definitely recommend to friends.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Death and Grief
asienerbrown's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Grief
littlelotto's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Grief
Minor: Child death