Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - The Remains of the Day

Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

82 reviews

mangopassion555's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Content Warnings

asmallgremlin's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.75

Been going through a reading slump recently, and unfortunately I started reading this book in the middle of my reading slump. However, I managed to pick it back up and I am very very glad I did.

I absolutely loved this book. I think it’s fair to say that Ishiguro is becoming one of my favourite authors, I think his books are so interesting and so well-written, and this was no different. The book focuses primarily on Stevens, an ageing butler who was the butler to the now deceased Lord Darlington, as he goes on a journey to reunite with a former colleague and friend Miss Kenton (the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall), and along the way he reminisces about his life in service and especially his service during the life of Lord Darlington.

This book’s structure is really interesting, because you essentially have three stories happening at once - you have Stevens travelling to Cornwall and interacting with people along the way; you have the flashbacks to Stevens’ service to Lord Darlington when the Lord is alive; and you have the gradual reveal that Lord Darlington is a Nazi sympathiser; and all three narratives interweave and mingle with each other - Lord Darlington’s true nature is discussed by people Stevens meets on his journey and his journey is fundamentally linked to remembering his past, since he is meeting Miss Kenton and she is a significant part of his memories of service. While the structure is complex the story is not difficult to follow, and the three narratives are an interesting way to tell the story.

As a character and narrator, Stevens is infuriating but also deeply loveable. He is emotionally repressed and this causes the reader to sometimes think him heartless, such as when he does not stay with his dying father, rather continuing to do his job, and his inability to accept his feelings for Miss Kenton. I would argue that his emotional repression is due to a) being the product of a time when men were expected to conceal their true feelings and present a ‘stiff upper lip’ and b) his entire life being linked to his work and therefore being unable to have a life outside his work. He remains emotionally repressed throughout, and his last thoughts in the novel are of his employer. As a narrator he is unreliable as he does not understand what is happening around him or he turns a blind eye to the truth, such as the truth of his master’s ideals and ideas. He is a character who never wishes to find out the truth, he would rather stay in the dark, and this makes him both an infuriating and fascinating protagonist. Ishiguro gives him a distinct voice, the voice of a man raised in a certain time and with certain beliefs. Reading ‘Remains’ after having read ‘Never Let Me Go’ and ‘Klara and the Sun’ was an interesting experience since Stevens is so different and yet so similar to the main characters of those novels - they all share an unreliability and emotional detachment.

This book was highly fascinating and enjoyable, an ideal book for late autumn.

Content Warnings

wormgirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective medium-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

Content Warnings

thatone2112's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

pep_puterova's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

One of the most interesting things I've ever read. Wonderful, beautiful book. The book is hard-hitting in the most gentle way.

I have very complicated feelings towards the protagonist, but despite his flaws and frustrating traits, I cannot help but feel some warmth towards him.

Content Warnings