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nadiabacha 's review for:
Klara and the Sun
by Kazuo Ishiguro
Compared to what you might expect from a typical sci-fi, Klara and the Sun might feel especially quiet and subdued. Set in the near future where children affluent enough are able to select an Artificial Friend to accompany them up until adulthood, Klara is perhaps one of the most observant AFs around, her ability to take in her surroundings unmatched compared to most others of her kind. She dreams of being bought by a human and fulfilling her purpose as an AF, and is eventually purchased by Josie, a young girl coping with chronic illness, where both Klara and the reader begin to learn more about the world outside the little shop where this story began.
It's something that I know could frustrate a lot of people, but Ishiguro never fully explains the futuristic world, how each aspect of life has been affected by the prominence of artificial intelligence and how class imbalances are perpetuated through the development of these technologies; most is left open to interpretation, for the reader to fill in the gaps. It's actually probably what I loved most about this book and allowed for a more subtle exploration of these themes are so prevalent in film and media. Reading the story leaves you feeling slightly unsettled as you begin to understand that things are not as they may seem, yet Ishiguro never forces a 'big reveal' upon the reader, which may feel slow-paced for some but really allows to enhance the mundane, every day experiences and emotions of the people Klara is trying to understand.
So many themes surrounding human nature are brought to the forefront of this novel, most notably the exploration of the sun as a deity to Klara. AFs are solar-powered, and so the sun becomes a God-like figure in the way it's able to provide nourishment and strength to her, and eventually her main source of hope as the events of the novel transpire. It's fascinating to see this exploration when I think most would never make this connection between artificial intelligence and religion, but it's another way Ishiguro is able to subtly explore the ways humanity is manifested in Klara, without ever explicitly stating it.
Klara is probably one of the most endearing voices you'll ever read, and while her tone can seem child-like, it's a perfect reflection of both her role as a childhood friend and her budding curiosity and wonder at the world around her. It's not a book that you'd go into expecting a riveting plot and fast-paced action, but as a book that explores its characters and the human condition in a sophisticated way, it's almost perfect in my opinion. My first Ishiguro but certainly not my last.
(4.5)
It's something that I know could frustrate a lot of people, but Ishiguro never fully explains the futuristic world, how each aspect of life has been affected by the prominence of artificial intelligence and how class imbalances are perpetuated through the development of these technologies; most is left open to interpretation, for the reader to fill in the gaps. It's actually probably what I loved most about this book and allowed for a more subtle exploration of these themes are so prevalent in film and media. Reading the story leaves you feeling slightly unsettled as you begin to understand that things are not as they may seem, yet Ishiguro never forces a 'big reveal' upon the reader, which may feel slow-paced for some but really allows to enhance the mundane, every day experiences and emotions of the people Klara is trying to understand.
So many themes surrounding human nature are brought to the forefront of this novel, most notably the exploration of the sun as a deity to Klara. AFs are solar-powered, and so the sun becomes a God-like figure in the way it's able to provide nourishment and strength to her, and eventually her main source of hope as the events of the novel transpire. It's fascinating to see this exploration when I think most would never make this connection between artificial intelligence and religion, but it's another way Ishiguro is able to subtly explore the ways humanity is manifested in Klara, without ever explicitly stating it.
Klara is probably one of the most endearing voices you'll ever read, and while her tone can seem child-like, it's a perfect reflection of both her role as a childhood friend and her budding curiosity and wonder at the world around her. It's not a book that you'd go into expecting a riveting plot and fast-paced action, but as a book that explores its characters and the human condition in a sophisticated way, it's almost perfect in my opinion. My first Ishiguro but certainly not my last.
(4.5)