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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Brilliantly done! A description of the plot doesn't do justice to how amazing this book is. Read it!!
At first glance, The Remains of the Day seems like a quiet story, a reflection on duty, restraint, and lost time. But as I moved through the first quarter of the novel, I found myself feeling a deep sympathy for Stevens, the reserved English butler at the center of the story. His meticulous efforts to teach himself the art of banter, practicing conversations with an almost painful formality, stood in stark contrast to my own experiences, making me reflect on the ways we each learn to navigate social spaces.
And yet, as the narrative unfolded, I found myself connecting with Stevens in ways that were both unexpected and deeply personal. I’ve never been a butler, of course, but having spent much of my teens and twenties in the service industry, I couldn’t help but recognize echoes of my own experiences in his quiet dedication, his deference, and the peculiar intimacy of serving others.
It’s been a long time since a book has so thoroughly overturned my initial ambivalence. What began as a restrained, even distant opening turned into a deeply moving exploration of identity and regret. These are characters so exquisitely drawn that they feel real, lingering in my mind long after I’ve closed the final pages. This is a story that doesn’t just sweep you off your feet, it will stay with you, a quiet companion that you’ll return to again and again.
And yet, as the narrative unfolded, I found myself connecting with Stevens in ways that were both unexpected and deeply personal. I’ve never been a butler, of course, but having spent much of my teens and twenties in the service industry, I couldn’t help but recognize echoes of my own experiences in his quiet dedication, his deference, and the peculiar intimacy of serving others.
It’s been a long time since a book has so thoroughly overturned my initial ambivalence. What began as a restrained, even distant opening turned into a deeply moving exploration of identity and regret. These are characters so exquisitely drawn that they feel real, lingering in my mind long after I’ve closed the final pages. This is a story that doesn’t just sweep you off your feet, it will stay with you, a quiet companion that you’ll return to again and again.
The Remains of the Day has a lot of what draws me to the movie Howard's End, and the character of Henry Wilcox, who I find both attractive and repulsive. It's that same horrible british sensibility. Appalling, but appealing. Everything in its rightful place. I suppose for a USian like me, it is a bit of a fetish. Or a fascination. I wasn't surprised to see the movie adaptation has the same main duo as Howard's End, and I'm looking forward to watching it. Anyway. I like how unreliable the butler is as a narrator. You begin to see that he's not being quite truthful about himself, his employer, and his relationship with Miss Kenton. I liked this book quite a lot.
"There will always be, I realize, those who would claim that any attempt to analyse greatness as I have been doing is quite futile. ‘You know when somebody’s got it and you know when somebody hasn’t,’ Mr Graham’s argument would always be. ‘Beyond that there’s nothing much you can say.’ But I believe we have a duty not to be so defeatist in this matter. It is surely a professional responsibility for all of us to think deeply about these things so that each of us may better strive towards attaining ‘dignity’ for ourselves."
I can't recommend this book enough. The subtle messages and beautiful prose made it a stunning read. Stevens is a butler at Darlington Hall in England. The book traces his life through memories as he goes on a road trip to visit Ms. Kenton, a former colleague he was fond of. More than anything, the book illustrates in vivid detail how people strive to find meaning in their lives. For Stevens, this feeling is captured by the word 'dignity'. He seeks to attain this status by aiming to "not abandon the professional being he inhabits." His story is emotionally powerful and will probably take a while for me to process. What an amazing book.
devastating book to finish on your lunch break at work lmao
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a wonderful modern classic. It is narrated by Stevens, the butler of a once-great house in England. He embarks on his first trip, and as he drives, he reflects on significant moments from his life. The reader is privy to his perspective, which shifts with each recollection of the same memories. This raises questions about whether he’s an unreliable narrator or merely biased by his own interpretation of events.
The author has an interesting way of reminding the reader that life doesn’t have to end because you get older. This quote from Stevens reflecting on a statement that a stranger makes in passing changes his thinking: “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?”
“The evening is the best part of the day. You’ve done your day’s work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it…The evening’s the best part of the day.” This short book carries a profound message that will remain with me for a long time.
The author has an interesting way of reminding the reader that life doesn’t have to end because you get older. This quote from Stevens reflecting on a statement that a stranger makes in passing changes his thinking: “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?”
“The evening is the best part of the day. You’ve done your day’s work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it…The evening’s the best part of the day.” This short book carries a profound message that will remain with me for a long time.
This was the second book I read by this author after reading Klara and the Sun about 2 years ago, and I was positively surprised once again.
Mr Stevens is an elderly butler, writing about his past during a road trip to see an old friend. The book starts out fairly innocent and funny; he is considering whether it is expected of a butler to be bantering with his employer and the character is introduced as a man who is proud of his stiff upper lip and strong sense of responsibility.
And then it continues.
About the situations where he put his own life in the service of somebody else at a cost to a personal life and his own relationships. At the time Mr Stevens felt that Lord Darlington was doing great things, but in hindsight, those actions are viewed differently.
Due to the buildup (he is on his way to a visit for most of the story), I expected more of the book to be about him and Mrs Benn, but the attention shifts to his former boss roughly halfway through the book, and we learn about Lord Darlingtons actions through the eyes of Mr Stevens and other people involved.
What I loved was the way the book developed - it pulled me in with a figure that was a bit tragic (due to his very limited emotional range) but mostly... fairly reliable, somewhat funny and somewhat oblivious to certain signals. The real realisations hit later in the book, but it felt like they snuck up on me in a way. I was partially satisfied and partially sad with the ending, where Mrs Benn confirms something I suspected, but there are also regrets to be dealt with.
A quiet, understated, melancholy book about life, responsibilities, and regrets.
Mr Stevens is an elderly butler, writing about his past during a road trip to see an old friend. The book starts out fairly innocent and funny; he is considering whether it is expected of a butler to be bantering with his employer and the character is introduced as a man who is proud of his stiff upper lip and strong sense of responsibility.
And then it continues.
About the situations where he put his own life in the service of somebody else at a cost to a personal life and his own relationships. At the time Mr Stevens felt that Lord Darlington was doing great things, but in hindsight, those actions are viewed differently.
Due to the buildup (he is on his way to a visit for most of the story), I expected more of the book to be about him and Mrs Benn, but the attention shifts to his former boss roughly halfway through the book, and we learn about Lord Darlingtons actions through the eyes of Mr Stevens and other people involved.
What I loved was the way the book developed - it pulled me in with a figure that was a bit tragic (due to his very limited emotional range) but mostly... fairly reliable, somewhat funny and somewhat oblivious to certain signals. The real realisations hit later in the book, but it felt like they snuck up on me in a way. I was partially satisfied and partially sad with the ending, where Mrs Benn confirms something I suspected, but there are also regrets to be dealt with.
A quiet, understated, melancholy book about life, responsibilities, and regrets.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Superb. Beautifully written and I loved the characters. So complex and sad