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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
The first of our revived book club so, I thought I’d share a few words. This is the third Ishiguro book I’ve read and it did not disappoint.
We’re introduced to Mr Steven’s, a butler at Darlington Hall as he reminisces the past through his years of service as he embarks on a road trip through the countryside.
At first I was a little sceptical about Steven’s. He liked to recollect his greatest achievements and I was unsure why he would want to see Miss Kenton when they didn’t seem to get a long and where he’s going with boasting about his talents. He rambled on about dignity and loyalty and how they are the key to delivering the greatest service. The more he shares events that reveal this, the more I realised that the very mantra’s he held for all of his life essentially led to his build up of regret in his later years that he can’t seem to come to terms with. For every event he reveals and looks back as a success, you can tell that deep down you can feel his unconscious sense of regret.
He embodies the mindless loyalty that he frowns upon - he was not properly there for his father in his final moments, he failed to see Miss Kenton’s attempts at becoming close and intimate and he failed to step in and stop Lord Darlington from being manipulated and radicalised with fascism by the Nazi’s, all in the name of providing the greatest service and trying to live up to his idols.
I thought Steven’s was going be ignorant to this but he did seem to pull through towards the end. He might not know where the mistakes are, that we do as a reader but he slowly becomes self aware that his greatest achievements in service aren’t to be treated as such (when he can’t come to terms with his loaming regret of the past). Ishiguro crafts this perfectly through the bluntness in Steven’s responses as well through what Steven’s does not tell us in past events.
I love the way that Ishiguro crafts the story to reveal the truth through a very unreliable narrator with rich language and imagery through the vivid prose. It was a little emotional towards the end when he finally met up with Miss Kenton but I think it was essential for him starting to align his perspective of his memories with that of the reader.
Ishiguro really is a master in exploring themes such as memory, loss and regret and I look forward to reading the next.
We’re introduced to Mr Steven’s, a butler at Darlington Hall as he reminisces the past through his years of service as he embarks on a road trip through the countryside.
At first I was a little sceptical about Steven’s. He liked to recollect his greatest achievements and I was unsure why he would want to see Miss Kenton when they didn’t seem to get a long and where he’s going with boasting about his talents. He rambled on about dignity and loyalty and how they are the key to delivering the greatest service. The more he shares events that reveal this, the more I realised that the very mantra’s he held for all of his life essentially led to his build up of regret in his later years that he can’t seem to come to terms with. For every event he reveals and looks back as a success, you can tell that deep down you can feel his unconscious sense of regret.
He embodies the mindless loyalty that he frowns upon - he was not properly there for his father in his final moments, he failed to see Miss Kenton’s attempts at becoming close and intimate and he failed to step in and stop Lord Darlington from being manipulated and radicalised with fascism by the Nazi’s, all in the name of providing the greatest service and trying to live up to his idols.
I thought Steven’s was going be ignorant to this but he did seem to pull through towards the end. He might not know where the mistakes are, that we do as a reader but he slowly becomes self aware that his greatest achievements in service aren’t to be treated as such (when he can’t come to terms with his loaming regret of the past). Ishiguro crafts this perfectly through the bluntness in Steven’s responses as well through what Steven’s does not tell us in past events.
I love the way that Ishiguro crafts the story to reveal the truth through a very unreliable narrator with rich language and imagery through the vivid prose. It was a little emotional towards the end when he finally met up with Miss Kenton but I think it was essential for him starting to align his perspective of his memories with that of the reader.
Ishiguro really is a master in exploring themes such as memory, loss and regret and I look forward to reading the next.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
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
I'm quite blown away by the genius of Ishiguro. I think this is a book you need to talk about with other people in order to fully comprehend it's subtle mastery in navigating dual timelines, subtext, tragedy and irony, and narration/first person characterization. I found the reading experience a little bit boring and dry at times, but enjoyed being able to follow multiple frames and stories in Stevens mind, even if his narration is a little long-winded at times.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“‘The fact is, of course,’ I said after a while, ‘I gave my best to Lord Darlington. I gave him the very best I had to give, and now - well - I find I do not have a great deal more left to give.” The man said nothing, but nodded… It was then that he said: ‘You’ve got to enjoy yourself. The evening’s the best part of the day. You’ve done your days work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it. That’s how I look at it.’”
such a bittersweet and endearing story told by a man who, above all else, is committed to his life’s work as a butler at a great house. it asks questions about the meaning of loyalty, commitment, goodness, success, and life, all with a truly charming voice. ishiguro is somehow able to write so that we are able to see and understand things our narrator doesn’t, all while exploring his environment and fellow characters with tremendous detail and care.
“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.”
such a bittersweet and endearing story told by a man who, above all else, is committed to his life’s work as a butler at a great house. it asks questions about the meaning of loyalty, commitment, goodness, success, and life, all with a truly charming voice. ishiguro is somehow able to write so that we are able to see and understand things our narrator doesn’t, all while exploring his environment and fellow characters with tremendous detail and care.
“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.”
emotional
reflective
sad
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
pretty good! didn’t hit as hard as Never Let Me Go but I loved how memory is a like a puzzle in this book. Putting a piece somewhere only to realise it belongs somewhere else.
Podle mého velmi jemná kniha.. a výborná :-)
Mezi jednoduchým vyprávěním a přehnaně zdvořilými dialogy probíhá nevědomé sebeodhalení hlavní postavy knihy - vypravěče. Hodně mě zaujala proměna vnímání sama sebe u hlavní postavy. Na pohled velmi spolojený a šťastný majordóm se postupně charakterizuje jako upjatý a škrobený snob bez kouska lidskosti.
A snaha naučit se žertovat.. jen pro to aby opět potěšil svého pána, skvělá tečka.
Mezi jednoduchým vyprávěním a přehnaně zdvořilými dialogy probíhá nevědomé sebeodhalení hlavní postavy knihy - vypravěče. Hodně mě zaujala proměna vnímání sama sebe u hlavní postavy. Na pohled velmi spolojený a šťastný majordóm se postupně charakterizuje jako upjatý a škrobený snob bez kouska lidskosti.
A snaha naučit se žertovat.. jen pro to aby opět potěšil svého pána, skvělá tečka.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No