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sarahboudereads's review against another edition
3.0
Loved all the scenes and discussions between Mr Stevens and Miss Kenton but was also quite bored during the rest of the novel. I'd recommend it for Downton Abbey lovers because it reminded me a lot of Carlson.
autogeek's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a masterpiece. It's a very subtle book with a quintessential English-gentlemanly prose. Ishiguro's writing style is just so beautifully elegant. This alone catapults the book into the class of all-time great contemporary literary classics.
The story is about Stevens, an English butler, taking a vacation traveling around the English countryside and reminiscing about his past. It is presented as if Stevens is speaking to the reader and as such is an account of events from his point of view. On the journey, he ponders and puts forth his thoughts on issues large and small such as greatness, dignity, etc. He discusses important events he was involved in or witnessed in the course of this career.
I initially picked this book up because of Jeff Bezos (the founder of Amazon). He once mentioned in an interview that this was the most influential book he ever read and credits it as the inspiration behind his "regret-minimization framework". And I can see why.
In the book, Stevens is obsessed with being the perfect butler to the exclusion of almost all else. While on his vacation he evaluates some of the personal choices he has made in the pursuit of excellence and is filled with regret. He regrets all the missed opportunities, the paths untrodden. Even though all the choices he made seemed to be the correct ones at the time, he regrets not having indulged himself a little, not having compromised a bit in his single-minded drive to be the perfect butler to have at least a semblance of a personal life. All the choices he made were based on an idea of what he thought a butler should be like with little regard to what he would be losing (or even gaining) in the trade. In the end though, he is forced to come to terms with the fact that all his choices and actions amounted to very little in the grand scheme of things. In his zeal to be the perfect butler, he focused all his energies on the tiniest of details and lost sight of the big picture.
This is a profoundly melancholic book. There is nothing more tragic than a man having given his entire life over to and sacrificed so much towards an ideal coming to the realization that it had been all for naught.
Recommended read for all.
The story is about Stevens, an English butler, taking a vacation traveling around the English countryside and reminiscing about his past. It is presented as if Stevens is speaking to the reader and as such is an account of events from his point of view. On the journey, he ponders and puts forth his thoughts on issues large and small such as greatness, dignity, etc. He discusses important events he was involved in or witnessed in the course of this career.
I initially picked this book up because of Jeff Bezos (the founder of Amazon). He once mentioned in an interview that this was the most influential book he ever read and credits it as the inspiration behind his "regret-minimization framework". And I can see why.
In the book, Stevens is obsessed with being the perfect butler to the exclusion of almost all else. While on his vacation he evaluates some of the personal choices he has made in the pursuit of excellence and is filled with regret. He regrets all the missed opportunities, the paths untrodden. Even though all the choices he made seemed to be the correct ones at the time, he regrets not having indulged himself a little, not having compromised a bit in his single-minded drive to be the perfect butler to have at least a semblance of a personal life. All the choices he made were based on an idea of what he thought a butler should be like with little regard to what he would be losing (or even gaining) in the trade. In the end though, he is forced to come to terms with the fact that all his choices and actions amounted to very little in the grand scheme of things. In his zeal to be the perfect butler, he focused all his energies on the tiniest of details and lost sight of the big picture.
This is a profoundly melancholic book. There is nothing more tragic than a man having given his entire life over to and sacrificed so much towards an ideal coming to the realization that it had been all for naught.
Recommended read for all.
floatwiththesticks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5⭐ This book flourished in the dialogue and was easily where I was most engaged. I wanted to march into Darlington Hall and *shake* Mr Stevens and Miss Kenton!!
I didn't love it (hence not 4⭐) but the narration really is clever: Mr Stevens emotions are all very ~show don't tell~ , almost exclusively through other characters dialogue. But like, duh, it's Ishiguro. He's a brilliant and poignant writer.
I didn't love it (hence not 4⭐) but the narration really is clever: Mr Stevens emotions are all very ~show don't tell~ , almost exclusively through other characters dialogue. But like, duh, it's Ishiguro. He's a brilliant and poignant writer.
jnicholson23a's review against another edition
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
4.0
emmayu918's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-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
5.0
eloise_krabbenhoft's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
gaelle_otalora's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
christopherward's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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? Yes
3.5
loeezeb's review against another edition
5.0
My best friend bought me this book after she finished it and thought I, too, would enjoy it just as much and boy was she not wrong! This book is amazing! The delicate way Ishiguro explores memory is beautifully poignant.
“Perhaps there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day. After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? (...) What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough (...) to at least try to make a small contribution count for something true and worthy. (...) Surely that is in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment”.
“Perhaps there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day. After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? (...) What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough (...) to at least try to make a small contribution count for something true and worthy. (...) Surely that is in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment”.