272 pages
English language
Published April 3, 2010 by Faber & Faber, Limited.
There's so much in here. It bears another read, and I'm very curious how they managed the film adaptation.
This book left me misty-eyed, in the best possible way. I was worried when I read the blurb that I would be bored, but I was fascinated and intrigued watching this butler's life play out. Kazuo has a gift for making what might sound mundane incredibly evocative. The bits about the Butler's father and the end were just devastating but also heartening. Highly recommend this book. I'd give it more stars if there were more stars.
Ishiguro will never cease to amaze me with how well he constructs such an intimate, gentle story that keeps me invested and in love with the characters. The Remains of the Day was just that and more. The character development was impeccable, being realistic but also interesting. The construction of the story was also excellent, seamlessly weaving the current day with the main character's nostalgic memories, but joining each beat with a common theme. While the story felt slow and aimless at times, I still couldn't help but fall in love with it. Ishiguro is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Didn't get as fully invested as others have mentioned, although well written and a nice story.
I ended up quite apathetic to Stevens since he is so cold and unpersonable until the end where he shows a glimmer of hope only for it to be ruined as he thinks of only the practicalities.
"...try to make the best of what remains of my day."
I really liked the author's use of an unreliable narrator in telling this wonderful story. Having to read between the lines and gauge the emotions and intentions of the people around Stevens lent another level to the book that really made it a compelling read. The entirety of the book is Stevens' musings about what it means to be a great butler, the price of duty, and how hard it really is to tell a good joke, and while the format would probably have annoyed me in any other book, the author manages to pull it off in a way that's compelling and engaging. The humorous bits sprinkled in are fantastic as well.
