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lolamei72's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
maija1234's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rachaelwinterling's review against another edition
4.0
This is a beautiful book that exemplifies the idea that we all find hope and mourn in our own way. It breaks my heart and I did cry. We are the sum of our experiences and we look at life through our own hyper-specific lens. It’s also about the nature of humanity, and how far we are willing to go to maintain our reality.
Note: The four-star rating is not a slight against the book – I have a specific rating system. This is objectively a five-star book, but I reserve my five stars for books that speak to me as an individual. I did love this book.
Note: The four-star rating is not a slight against the book – I have a specific rating system. This is objectively a five-star book, but I reserve my five stars for books that speak to me as an individual. I did love this book.
nookadri's review against another edition
5.0
I was surprised by the transhumanism themes and dystopian setting but slay. I don't regret buying this impulsively because of tiktok without any idea about the story content :)
One love Klara and I hope that if AI ever gets really smart they're as kind and caring as her
One love Klara and I hope that if AI ever gets really smart they're as kind and caring as her
arlzz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.75
I liked how Kazuo made it intentional to have a lot of open ended questions in the plot - it was clear that the reader was forced to accept to not get an answer to whole lot of things. Once you realised the plot and world itself was not the core focus and you’re made to sit back into reading the book as Klara’s ‘memoir’ if you could say, it was certainly a look into the human condition and our connections with one another. Placing it into modern day with the rise in AI, Kazuo paints the likely possibility of people (I.e the mum) in need seeking connection through artificial measures hoping to fill in an emotional gap (the mum losing Josie in this case) but the realisation in the end is that it will never be possible even if the choice is available.
confused_cat's review against another edition
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
2.5
Love the book's concept. I was excited when I started to read this book for a bookclub.
However, a few hours later I was bored out of my mind.
However, a few hours later I was bored out of my mind.
- Lack of plot
This is the plot: Klara bought by Josie and Mother. Josie has chronic illness because she was lifted (aka enhanced). Everyone worries about Josie. Josie was magically cured by the sun - (according to Klara) Josie grew up and Klara ended up in the yard. The end.
- Lack of world building
I guess the author wants everyone to make things up themselves.
- Lack of likeable characters
This is subjective - I only like Rick in the book.
I understand why some people love this book. Klara is a pure innocent character whose sole life purpose is taking care of Josie and at the end got outgrown. Just like kids outgrowing their parents/pet/soft toys. It is a sweet story like the Velveteen Rabbit.
Unlike Velveteen rabbit, I however think these whole AF things are kind of messed up.
I can see AFs for sale in real world in the near future. People today are already having AI girlfriend/boyfriend. I would like to think this book as a cautionary tale against AI impact on society but I have a feeling it is not.
Unlike Velveteen rabbit, I however think these whole AF things are kind of messed up.
I can see AFs for sale in real world in the near future. People today are already having AI girlfriend/boyfriend. I would like to think this book as a cautionary tale against AI impact on society but I have a feeling it is not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
In terms of plot, what I wish would happen:supercoops's review against another edition
5.0
Very beautifully written. I really fell in love with Klara and seeing things through her eyes xx
leni146's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
scytmo's review against another edition
4.0
Klara is an android, an “Artificial Friend”, an AF. It is a world in which AFs are habitually used as companions for children, and Klara is bought by a family for their ailing daughter. This is their story, told from Klara’s perspective.
It’s difficult to succinctly say what the core theme of the book is - what the book is ‘about’ - as there are three threads that play equal parts and weave around each other throughout the story.
Firstly, there is the use of AI and robotics, and how they can be used to displace people in a variety of roles - the most obvious being the use of AFs as companions for children. Klara’s role is depicted as being a positive experience for the family that she becomes part of, but there are glimpses of where relationships between AFs and their associated children have become dysfunctional.
The story is told from the first-person perspective of Klara, so it is implicit that Klara is conscious and sentient - she is, afterall, the narrator. And yet AFs are treated as property, and Klara unquestioningly accepts that - indeed, is happy to be bought by a family. These broader themes, and the societal impact of using AFs in other contexts, such as displacing people from their jobs, are hinted at but not explored.
Another thread, almost entirely independent of the use of AFs, is the practice of using medical intervention to ‘enhance’ children (referred to as ‘lifting’ in the book), using hinted-at procedures that are not without risk. The ethics of this decision, along with the two-tier society that can result, are not dealt with head-on, but instead form a foundation for much of the conflict within the story, and the emotional struggles of some of the characters.
And then there is the internal life of Klara herself, and the reason for the title of the book. The story is told through a lens of naïvety as Klara learns about the world around her. Klara is described as an AF with particularly good observational skills, and she learns about the world around her mostly through observation - drawing conclusions and inferring cause and effect from what she sees around her. However, this unguided observational learning leads Klara to believe that the Sun (yes, the fiery ball in the sky) has omniscient and mystical power.
This belief in the Sun leads Klara to interpret other events around her as cause and effect, which she then struggles to make sense of - largely due to the inscrutable nature of the Sun’s decision-making process. The parallels with religious faith are clear, and it’s difficult to know what message the author is trying to convey, given some of the questionable behaviour that Klara engages with as a consequence of her belief, and the ultimate outcome of the story.
The world building is very satisfying, and the glimpses of the various issues, ideas and concepts that come out of it are intriguing and thought-provoking. With such broad scope, it’s inevitable that very little is dealt with in depth. While there were many things that could have been explored in more detail, I wasn’t left frustrated that they weren’t - rather, I enjoyed skirting around the edges.
It’s difficult to succinctly say what the core theme of the book is - what the book is ‘about’ - as there are three threads that play equal parts and weave around each other throughout the story.
Firstly, there is the use of AI and robotics, and how they can be used to displace people in a variety of roles - the most obvious being the use of AFs as companions for children. Klara’s role is depicted as being a positive experience for the family that she becomes part of, but there are glimpses of where relationships between AFs and their associated children have become dysfunctional.
The story is told from the first-person perspective of Klara, so it is implicit that Klara is conscious and sentient - she is, afterall, the narrator. And yet AFs are treated as property, and Klara unquestioningly accepts that - indeed, is happy to be bought by a family. These broader themes, and the societal impact of using AFs in other contexts, such as displacing people from their jobs, are hinted at but not explored.
Another thread, almost entirely independent of the use of AFs, is the practice of using medical intervention to ‘enhance’ children (referred to as ‘lifting’ in the book), using hinted-at procedures that are not without risk. The ethics of this decision, along with the two-tier society that can result, are not dealt with head-on, but instead form a foundation for much of the conflict within the story, and the emotional struggles of some of the characters.
And then there is the internal life of Klara herself, and the reason for the title of the book. The story is told through a lens of naïvety as Klara learns about the world around her. Klara is described as an AF with particularly good observational skills, and she learns about the world around her mostly through observation - drawing conclusions and inferring cause and effect from what she sees around her. However, this unguided observational learning leads Klara to believe that the Sun (yes, the fiery ball in the sky) has omniscient and mystical power.
This belief in the Sun leads Klara to interpret other events around her as cause and effect, which she then struggles to make sense of - largely due to the inscrutable nature of the Sun’s decision-making process. The parallels with religious faith are clear, and it’s difficult to know what message the author is trying to convey, given some of the questionable behaviour that Klara engages with as a consequence of her belief, and the ultimate outcome of the story.
The world building is very satisfying, and the glimpses of the various issues, ideas and concepts that come out of it are intriguing and thought-provoking. With such broad scope, it’s inevitable that very little is dealt with in depth. While there were many things that could have been explored in more detail, I wasn’t left frustrated that they weren’t - rather, I enjoyed skirting around the edges.