Reviews

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

tprineas's review against another edition

5.0

Stevens is a fun guy to read about, because it seems like he had an interesting life.
It was interesting he stuck to telling about his job over how scary England was during WWII.

I liked the ending, too. Honestly, I was kind of shipping him and Miss Kenton, even though I knew they'd never end up together, since he's not with her during his motoring. But, like, I feel like Ishiguro knew what his readers would be thinking.

I do like his books very much, on the whole.

joysanwhoa's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

leoleaf's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The protagonist is realistically single-minded and oblivious. The narrow scope of concerns in his relatively simple life and his general positivity made him likeable and a sensible narrator. It got a little slow in parts, but the pacing was overall appropriate and accentuated the important scenes all the more.

faintgirl's review against another edition

5.0

It has been rare in recent terms on this list that I've read a book so profoundly touching. The Remains of the Day is full of sorrow yet inescapably beautiful. It tells of Mr Stevens, the Butler at Darlington Hall, and his dedication to ensuring his job is carried out error free and with utmost dignity. Unfortunately, it is only when he is nearing the end of his life of servitude that he begins to reflect, and realise that perhaps he has neglected other areas of his life.

The Remains of the Day is beautifully narrated by Mr Stevens, as a rather quaint character who is rapidly becoming displaced out of time. Miss Kenton, the house keeper, is admirably fiery young woman with whom he concerns many of his thoughts. Outside of this relationship lies the greater issues of the day, the Second World War quite but ever present in the narrative.

It is difficult for me to describe quite what I find so affecting about this novel, but it is wonderfully unique and quite heartbreaking. Read it.

kirstenrose22's review against another edition

4.0

I've only been wanting to read this book since the movie came out, more than 20 years ago. Ishiguro winning the Nobel Prize was a good reminder! This is beautiful but slow and languid. And Stevens is so frustrating! Le sigh.

mcyewfly's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing 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

4.5

I started reading this book months ago, and it just didn’t click with me. I can either work through a book cold and without any additional context, or I need the back of the book to tell me everything I’m reading for. I wish there was an in between. Once I understood the book was deconstructing a life dedicated to a bygone cause (to be an expert in a dying field, as they say), it clicked. It fully enraptured me. 

 

This book just broke my heart over and over again. Stevens’s religious commitment to what ought to be, regardless of what is or what will be, is heartbreaking. At the heart of his life is this expectation that things will fall into place as they ought to. And while nothing tragic or soul crushing happens to him, nothing falls into place. He’s this bumbling fool, constantly stubbing his own toe without realizing the more permanent nerve damage he’s causing. His myopic view of the world, while constantly challenged and scrutinized, ultimately never wavers. It’s shocking that despite the many confrontations he encounters, it never sticks. He doesn’t change; in fact, he often gets offended that anyone would suggest something’s wrong. I absolutely love Kenton’s constant prodding, insults, and outbursts throughout, reminding the reader of just how out of touch Stevens is. 

 

On the one hand, there’s this natural present perspective to view Stevens as being on the spectrum given his inability to understand or parse through social cues both big and small, as well as the constant need to follow the rules set in front of him. And while that perspective holds some water, I guess, I think its literal reading loses a lot of the metaphor intended. Also, it feels plainly insulting that if this is the case, this book really fails to depict people with Autism as anything but the most rudimentary stereotype. I lean more towards Stevens being a victim of a world in transition, and not because of the transition exclusively, but because of how the people in power exploit Stevens and his social position. 

 

The Britain-in-transition narrative because of World War II is in-your-face, yet it feels far less important than the social situations Stevens gets stuck in. The pompous elites mocking the pitfalls of democracy and the current American homeowner versus the past British homeowner pale in comparison to Stevens pretending to be something he’s not. And yes, there is a richness in using Stevens as a stand-in for Britain itself needing to stop pretending globally, or holding onto outdated Conservative values against its better judgment, when progress is essential. I know Stevens would die for his post because he believes in it, and I know that his post will happily replace him the second he dies. Applying that to how the British treated its citizens in the war(s) is brilliant. 

 

Ultimately, I find that reading less engaging compared to the power of the interpersonal relationships being impacted by Steven’s politics; how individuals treat each other daily is far more compelling than how countries view each other globally, especially for a novel centered around it. I really felt the impact of every memory Steven recalls throughout his recollections, and I can’t remember the last time I wanted to break out a character from their own prison. For someone who prides himself for “getting it,” and for dedicating himself to being the best butler he can be, man, he just misses the mark. It’s short, narrow, and impactful; I’m glad I finally finished it, and that it clicked! 

ejstephensis's review against another edition

emotional reflective

4.25

miiyayukii's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

monique_a's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sanghadharin's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Remains of the Day 

 

I absolutely devoured this book over a weekend. I found it extremely captivating in quite a quiet way. The plot doesn’t race or keep you on the edge of your seat like something like Project Hail Mary but the momentum slowly built and I was completely immersed in the world of Mr Stevens. 

 

The level of his repression of self delusion begins with only small hints but becomes more and more oppressive and painful and few moments towards the end where authenticity breaks through are shattering. Having stayed with a character who is putting on such a front for so much of the book, the moments when he is finally honest with himself jumped off the page straight into my heart. It was Mr Stevens’ view of ‘dignity’ that led him to be so closed off to his emotions, which was presumably very common in people of that generation, and ultimately led him to living a life that was not his own. 

 

I’m extremely impressed by the subtlety of Ishiguro’s writing in this and how so little was explicitly stated. The romance being unspoken throughout all but two sentences of the book and his relationship to his memory of Mr Darlington gradually changing over time, rather than him having any dramatic lightbulb moments. 

 

I’ve only just finished this book but I think it has opened my mind into what a novel can be. I’ve never experienced an unreliable narrator so fully. He completely captures how you would imagine a 20th century butler to think, speak and act and manages to covertly convey so much more than is ever said.