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A review by jyeetreads
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
4.0
4/5 stars
I think it is a commonly shared experience that Ishiguro has a very unique way of make readers feel things. It really is hard to explain but there are keen nuances to reading an Ishiguro compared to any other author that feels simultaneously subtle and groundbreaking.
My last Ishiguro read was The Buried Giant, so I was excited to to finally read another of his works. I honestly didn’t put much thought into which I’d choose next and picked this one up seeing that it is his most recent release. I’m so glad to say that this book did what I wanted it to do… in that it made me reflect existentially, challenged me to try understanding more of the human condition, and encouraged me to consider the future beyond my lifetime.
I remember, not knowing much about Ishiguro’s writing style, I was so surprised by how much The Buried Giant had made me feel. I was lowkey disturbed by my deeper thoughts, which I think is what makes Ishiguro’s work so unique— it challenges you when you don’t expect it; he starts off building this beautiful easy-flow narrative and you don’t realize how it leads to some deeper meditation until you find yourself there.
This book was like walking down a calm path with a cool breeze, rustling willow trees, soft sunlight and then you blink, and you find yourself in this wide cavern sitting on a lone smooth slab resting your back on a single willow tree amidst a beautiful, placid lake that reflects everything around it. There’s an opening at the top of the cavern where a shaft of that soft light comes through illuminating you and the tree. The water ripples occasionally… you get confused sometimes; sometimes you feel muddled. Other times you stare back at yourself. Or, you find yourself examining different angles of your surroundings through the water’s reflection.
That’s how it feels. It’s rather beautiful.
T/n: I found the experimental writing to portray Klara’s POV also super cool. After finishing, I watched Jack Edwards’s review of this book and he said that the writing employs cubism to explore the complexities of human emotion. I find that so fascinating. Ishiguro is a genius!
On an ending note, I didn’t give this book 5 stars because though I did enjoy it and it did what I wanted it to do, it did not exactly captivate me. I think The Buried Giant did that— and perhaps it’s because that was my first Ishiguro and so I didn’t know what to expect, but nevertheless, this book is great and you should read it!
I think it is a commonly shared experience that Ishiguro has a very unique way of make readers feel things. It really is hard to explain but there are keen nuances to reading an Ishiguro compared to any other author that feels simultaneously subtle and groundbreaking.
My last Ishiguro read was The Buried Giant, so I was excited to to finally read another of his works. I honestly didn’t put much thought into which I’d choose next and picked this one up seeing that it is his most recent release. I’m so glad to say that this book did what I wanted it to do… in that it made me reflect existentially, challenged me to try understanding more of the human condition, and encouraged me to consider the future beyond my lifetime.
I remember, not knowing much about Ishiguro’s writing style, I was so surprised by how much The Buried Giant had made me feel. I was lowkey disturbed by my deeper thoughts, which I think is what makes Ishiguro’s work so unique— it challenges you when you don’t expect it; he starts off building this beautiful easy-flow narrative and you don’t realize how it leads to some deeper meditation until you find yourself there.
This book was like walking down a calm path with a cool breeze, rustling willow trees, soft sunlight and then you blink, and you find yourself in this wide cavern sitting on a lone smooth slab resting your back on a single willow tree amidst a beautiful, placid lake that reflects everything around it. There’s an opening at the top of the cavern where a shaft of that soft light comes through illuminating you and the tree. The water ripples occasionally… you get confused sometimes; sometimes you feel muddled. Other times you stare back at yourself. Or, you find yourself examining different angles of your surroundings through the water’s reflection.
That’s how it feels. It’s rather beautiful.
T/n: I found the experimental writing to portray Klara’s POV also super cool. After finishing, I watched Jack Edwards’s review of this book and he said that the writing employs cubism to explore the complexities of human emotion. I find that so fascinating. Ishiguro is a genius!
On an ending note, I didn’t give this book 5 stars because though I did enjoy it and it did what I wanted it to do, it did not exactly captivate me. I think The Buried Giant did that— and perhaps it’s because that was my first Ishiguro and so I didn’t know what to expect, but nevertheless, this book is great and you should read it!