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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finished in one sitting. I always love Ishiguro’s viewpoints, never feels like you’re supposed to agree with the protagonist but instead go on the journey with them, but he also has a very interesting way of writing repressed characters which this has in abundance. It’s odd to stay it’s a page turner because not a lot happens, but I guess that’s the importance of the little things that do. A wonderful and brief story.
It’s about as good as everybody says it is!
Melancholy indeed, but not irredeemably so. Makes you think about the important things in life, which is a fine quality in art.
Melancholy indeed, but not irredeemably so. Makes you think about the important things in life, which is a fine quality in art.
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
informative
reflective
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:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
So slow paced but the ending is worth it. I genuinely cried at the ending.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not even in the evening of my life yet (I'm in my early twenties), yet this book made me nostalgic of days gone by. It coloured my memories with a tinge of melancholy because of the possibility of wasted opportunities. How can a book be so calm and restrained, yet emotionally turbulent?
We are introduced to Stevens, one of the only fine English butlers remaining, a true gentleman's gentleman. He is now past his prime, yet ever the diligent butler. At the start of the book, he heads out on a motoring trip (something quite out of character for the workaholic). It's his first real vacation in a career spanning several long decades, and stepping out of the role of the butler starts to bring memories of his life as one in a vivid rush. The narrative goes back and forth between his explorations of the country, and the explorations of his mind.
I don't think I've ever read a first person narrative so distinct and true to the personality of the character speaking. He holds back information, defends himself, justifies his actions. But most importantly, what is significant is not what is explicitly said, but that what is conveyed. Reading between the lines.
Often, a first person point of view in books makes me cringe because the author is describing things happening in the story through the protagonist and losing the authentic voice of the character in the process.
Which is why, Ishiguro's choice to use Stevens's memories as a storytelling device was an excellently effective one. A lot of the narration is introspective, and has the hazy looping texture that memories often hold. This gives way to a non-linear plot. Layers are gradually peeled back as Stevens delves deeper into his recollection of his time as butler of the grand Darlington Hall.
He talks about what it takes to be a "great butler". Throughout, there's a theme of self-denial, self-restraint and the repression of emotions. The proper English butler with unquestioning loyalty to his employer.
He finally comes to the regretful realisation that perhaps the life that he took so much pride in was actually a wasted life. But it's too late to rectify anything because all he has left now are the remains of the day, and the best course for him to take would be to come to terms with that.
To end, here's a small excerpt that captures some of the emotion.
We are introduced to Stevens, one of the only fine English butlers remaining, a true gentleman's gentleman. He is now past his prime, yet ever the diligent butler. At the start of the book, he heads out on a motoring trip (something quite out of character for the workaholic). It's his first real vacation in a career spanning several long decades, and stepping out of the role of the butler starts to bring memories of his life as one in a vivid rush. The narrative goes back and forth between his explorations of the country, and the explorations of his mind.
I don't think I've ever read a first person narrative so distinct and true to the personality of the character speaking. He holds back information, defends himself, justifies his actions. But most importantly, what is significant is not what is explicitly said, but that what is conveyed. Reading between the lines.
Often, a first person point of view in books makes me cringe because the author is describing things happening in the story through the protagonist and losing the authentic voice of the character in the process.
Which is why, Ishiguro's choice to use Stevens's memories as a storytelling device was an excellently effective one. A lot of the narration is introspective, and has the hazy looping texture that memories often hold. This gives way to a non-linear plot. Layers are gradually peeled back as Stevens delves deeper into his recollection of his time as butler of the grand Darlington Hall.
He talks about what it takes to be a "great butler". Throughout, there's a theme of self-denial, self-restraint and the repression of emotions. The proper English butler with unquestioning loyalty to his employer.
He finally comes to the regretful realisation that perhaps the life that he took so much pride in was actually a wasted life. But it's too late to rectify anything because all he has left now are the remains of the day, and the best course for him to take would be to come to terms with that.
To end, here's a small excerpt that captures some of the emotion.
"But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably drive oneself to distraction in this way. In any case, while it is all very well to talk of 'turning points', one can surely only recognise such moments in retrospect. Naturally, when one looks back to such instances today, they may indeed take the appearance of being crucial, precious moments in one's life; but of course, at the time, this was not the impression one had. Rather, it was as though one had available a never-ending number of days, months, years in which to sort out the vagaries of one's relationship with Miss Kenton; an infinite number of further opportunities in which to remedy the effect of this or that misunderstanding. There was surely nothing to indicate at the time that such evidently small incidents would render whole dreams forever irredeemable.”