Reviews

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

floatwiththesticks's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5⭐ This book flourished in the dialogue and was easily where I was most engaged. I wanted to march into Darlington Hall and *shake* Mr Stevens and Miss Kenton!!

I didn't love it (hence not 4⭐) but the narration really is clever: Mr Stevens emotions are all very ~show don't tell~ , almost exclusively through other characters dialogue. But like, duh, it's Ishiguro. He's a brilliant and poignant writer.

jnicholson23a's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emmayu918's review against another edition

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

5.0

eloise_krabbenhoft's review against another edition

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

4.75

gaelle_otalora's review against another edition

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challenging 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

4.25

christopherward's review against another edition

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informative reflective sad fast-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

3.5

loeezeb's review against another edition

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5.0

My best friend bought me this book after she finished it and thought I, too, would enjoy it just as much and boy was she not wrong! This book is amazing! The delicate way Ishiguro explores memory is beautifully poignant.

“Perhaps there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day. After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? (...) What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough (...) to at least try to make a small contribution count for something true and worthy. (...) Surely that is in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment”.

linwin's review against another edition

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5.0

Such quiet and understated writing. On the surface the main character initially seems very uninteresting, but you quickly understand that that’s not the case and it turns in to such an emotional reading experience.

joyeprince's review against another edition

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Got bored

jennyluwho's review against another edition

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3.0

‘… In bantering lies the key to human warmth.’