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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
timdorittke's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
josqmo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
An English butler, Mr. Stevens, reflects on his life of service in an elite house where he slowly realizes, as the book goes on, that he was in service to a fascist. He now confronts an existential crisis, trying to justify his life’s work and deciding what he will do with “the remains of his days.”
Pleasant read most of the way through, but I found it to be a bit depressing overall… I think I wanted to like the main character, but I only lost respect for him as the story went on.
Pleasant read most of the way through, but I found it to be a bit depressing overall… I think I wanted to like the main character, but I only lost respect for him as the story went on.
perapera's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hangryzebra's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
lauriceanne's review against another edition
3.0
Kind of a snooze fest. I don't care what it takes to be a good butler.
jeetjhaveri26's review against another edition
4.0
This book has a lot of hidden messages interspersed throughout the book, giving the reader to reminisce on them just as Mr. Stevens does while touring the English countryside. Borrowing his employer's motor car, he is taking his first long break exploring and taking in the sites of the country with the ultimate destination being his meeting his long time colleague and house keeper, Miss Kenton.
While he tours on the motor car, the author talks about his life as a butler and the lives of butler's in general as a key component of British culture. He tries to ingrain in the reader the qualities and values a "dignified butler " possesses which are rare to find in employees of any kind today. While he does that, he also points to the side effects of a complete blindness to his family or personal ambition as the butler focuses on serving his lordship loyally. One key example that proves that point beautifully is when the butler's father was lying on his death bed and Mr. Stevens didn't have time to sit next to him as his lordship had important guests come over from outside the country.
After reading the book, I can clearly see why it deserves the accolades it has received without any doubt.
While he tours on the motor car, the author talks about his life as a butler and the lives of butler's in general as a key component of British culture. He tries to ingrain in the reader the qualities and values a "dignified butler " possesses which are rare to find in employees of any kind today. While he does that, he also points to the side effects of a complete blindness to his family or personal ambition as the butler focuses on serving his lordship loyally. One key example that proves that point beautifully is when the butler's father was lying on his death bed and Mr. Stevens didn't have time to sit next to him as his lordship had important guests come over from outside the country.
After reading the book, I can clearly see why it deserves the accolades it has received without any doubt.