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A review by melissabraine
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
5.0
I actually really enjoyed this book. Despite its jumpy timeline it was very easy to follow and the message it achieved by this was interesting and one I’ve never seen before.
Stevens is a butler who is very determined to do his job to the highest standard, consequently meaning that his personal life and emotions are avoided. When Stevens is making his journey across England, his present often blurs into his past when he was actually proud of his ability as a butler, demonstrating that his self-worth is reliant on his meeting of expectations. This same determination is seen in his father, whose ability also deteriorated with age and ultimately led to his death.
A sense of regret is evident in Stevens’ narrative; regret of losing himself to the standards and expectations that his occupation and status require of him. This regret stays with Stevens throughout his journey and he begins to become more emotionally vulnerable, especially with the character of Miss Kenton. Stevens lost everyone he loved because of his commitment to the expectations of his job, and his realisation of this is slowly revealed throughout the novel.
When reaching a sensitive topic, Stevens would go on for pages to divert the attention from the situation at hand and would revisit it briefly with his conclusion. His emotions are not explicitly stated, but the way Ishiguro presents them are much more powerful and adds to this whole message of avoidance and fear of vulnerability.
However, by the end of the novel, Stevens recognises that he has to utilise ‘the remains of the day’ and use this as his own time to self-reflect. He learns that emotional vulnerability and love comes with satisfaction and freedom.
This novel is about turning regret into fulfilment. It explores the idea that conformity to expectations ultimately results in self-inflicted unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It’s about the journey of finding self-worth and letting the power of love destroy restricting expectations.
Stevens is a butler who is very determined to do his job to the highest standard, consequently meaning that his personal life and emotions are avoided. When Stevens is making his journey across England, his present often blurs into his past when he was actually proud of his ability as a butler, demonstrating that his self-worth is reliant on his meeting of expectations. This same determination is seen in his father, whose ability also deteriorated with age and ultimately led to his death.
A sense of regret is evident in Stevens’ narrative; regret of losing himself to the standards and expectations that his occupation and status require of him. This regret stays with Stevens throughout his journey and he begins to become more emotionally vulnerable, especially with the character of Miss Kenton. Stevens lost everyone he loved because of his commitment to the expectations of his job, and his realisation of this is slowly revealed throughout the novel.
When reaching a sensitive topic, Stevens would go on for pages to divert the attention from the situation at hand and would revisit it briefly with his conclusion. His emotions are not explicitly stated, but the way Ishiguro presents them are much more powerful and adds to this whole message of avoidance and fear of vulnerability.
However, by the end of the novel, Stevens recognises that he has to utilise ‘the remains of the day’ and use this as his own time to self-reflect. He learns that emotional vulnerability and love comes with satisfaction and freedom.
This novel is about turning regret into fulfilment. It explores the idea that conformity to expectations ultimately results in self-inflicted unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It’s about the journey of finding self-worth and letting the power of love destroy restricting expectations.