Review by etinney - Klara and the Sun

etinney 's review for:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

4.0

challenging 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: Complicated

Ishiguro continues to be a master of subtle yet impactful symbolism. If you are looking to start reading his work, Klara and the Sun is probably one of his most approachable. This novel is also unique in it being a "Covid" book (released in Apr 2021) that isn't about the illness itself. Rather, it reflects on themes of social isolation and fears regarding the advancement of science in contributing to that loneliness and dehumanization. I think the ending shifts the book's tone in a direction that I thought was odd given what the rest of the book had led up to. Ishiguro gives us this feeling of dread and tension that just kind of gets resolved.

The fact that praying to the Sun works in apparently curing Josie (though my interpretation is that this was merely a coincidence) goes agains the theme of overreliance on religion to cure our problems with the world. I wish the consequences for Klara having enacted a small act of ecoterrorism (destroying the construction machinary) because the "Sun" (aka "Son" aka the Christian God) told her to in exchange for a miracle.

There are many themes explored in this novel that feel underdeveloped toward the end.

Content Warnings