A review by stephbakerbooks
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is very slow-moving, with a lot of reflection and internal debate, particularly about what it means to have dignity. I had mixed feelings while reading it—it's not very long but took me a while to get through; I was expecting more plot; our narrator is a bit unreliable (or at least, not honest with himself about the true nature of events he relays), is detached, and makes frustrating decisions. There's no real climax at the end, no real resolution. I was left a little confused.

But I read this for book club, and this book lends itself to some excellent discussions. We talked about dignity, we talked about decision-making and owning up to your life choices, we talked about what makes a person good and the importance of banter. There's a reason this book won the Booker Prize back in 1989, when it was released. And though I'm not sure that I loved it, I can recognize the brilliant writing style and the themes and emotions it brings up that makes it good literature.

Also, it's impossible to read this and not imagine Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes as Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton.
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