PLPR6:Remains of the Day, The RLA Review
My first experience with Kazuo Ishiguro was with his novel `Never Let Me Go', which drew me in and blew me away. I have been a longstanding fan of the 1993 film adaptation of this particular novel, and so I have wanted to read it for some time. Truth be told, the idea of reading a novel about a butler's revelations didn't seem all that appealing. Some stories are better told on the big screen, for reading their plights can become rather monotonous and redundant. After reading `Never Let Me Go' though, I was so enamored with Ishiguro's magnificent writing technique that I became confident that this novel would please me.
It did, and then some.
I find it rather baffling to read some (very few thankfully) reviews that lambaste this novel for being boring or uninspired. Yes, to the untrained eye this may seem like a longwinded exercise (which I can't say I rally behind in the slightest since I was unable to put this engrossing piece of literature down and finished it rather rapidly) but quite frankly there is so much to be absorbed here.
The story tells that of an English butler named Mr. Stevens who takes a much deserved holiday to visit an old acquaintance and former co-worker, Miss Kenton. Over the course of this trip, Stevens recalls his life in segments that add layers of development over his own person and the people with whom he shared his company, namely Miss Kenton and his former employer, Lord Darlington. While it may be instantaneously ascertained that Stevens is quite oblivious to his former employers real life ambitions, the reader soon become privy to the fact that Stevens is searching for a meaning to his own existence that causes him to place unnecessary adoration on his late-employer. Stevens, a man so dedicated to his craft that he has made other people's mistakes, is stumbled by his own lack of `dignity', as he sees it. Feeling lost and inadequate, Stevens focuses his reflection on times when he felt most amenable, completely worthwhile and needed. This reflection, when recollected in like manner, paints a vivid picture of a man who is just beginning to grow outside of himself.
Some have balked that this story is far from the `romance' is it trying to be, but for me that anti-climactic finale only further bolsters the story's romantic subplot.
There is a passage near the beginning of the book where Stevens comments on the meaning of greatness, and when discerning the reason many consider the landscape in Britain to be `great' he states: "I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama or spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart." That is precisely how I feel about this beautiful novel. The `obvious' theatrics are stripped away to reveal a story that is pure and believable and relatable, no matter what your nobility.
I must also make a quick note in regards to Ishiguro's writing style. This man is a genius. I've only read two of his novels and yet I'm ready to pronounce him one of the greatest novelists I've ever had the privilege of reading. His ability to transport the reader into another world is unsurpassed. Comparing the style of this novel and `Never Let Me Go', it is outstanding to see how he was able to capture such completely contrasted personalities so effortlessly.
This novel breathes.
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Customer Reviews
looked sceond hand - joanna Matley - ASHTON UNDER LYNE, Lancs, GB
book arrived - expensive for a paperback but I didnt have time to go shopping elsewhere. When it arrived it looked distinctly second hand.
A fascinating, heart-rending masterpiece. - Lazar - OH
For readers who prefer fast-paced thrillers or the light beach-read, "The Remains of the Day" may be just the book to pull you into serious, contemplative literature. The story is presented in the form of a butler's diary, and the time alternates between his years of service to Lord Darlington (leading up to WWII) and the "present" day, in which Lord Darlington has died and Stevens is adjusting to both his new employer and his own advancing age. Deciding to seek out a former associate who now lives in Cornwall, Stevens borrows his new employer's car and takes a "motoring trip" across the English countryside, all the while contemplating his past thirty years of service and their greater significance.
Ishiguro is truly a master of the form. I've seldom read a book by an author who seems to understand, without reservation, what good fiction does and how it is written. There are no car chases, no shouting matches, no fistfights or dead bodies. But if you let Ishiguro work his magic, he will pull you under swiftly and see you to the conclusion of this beautiful work.
As for character portraits, the butler Stevens is perhaps one of the most compelling characters I have ever met in a novel. Many times I felt myself thinking of Stevens not as an interesting (or even life-like) character or as an ideological construct but as a real person with feelings, desires and passions. As you read the book, there are quiet moments that are utterly heartbreaking. Most of this is due to understatement or implication, and being able to sense the meanings behind Stevens' actions--and especially his non-actions. The Remains of the Day presents these repressed moments of sorrow with a precision I'm not sure I've found elsewhere--even in the works of the masters. I'm anxiously awaiting my next Ishiguro novel.
Eloquently written story of a English butler - Michael A. Farrell - San Diego
An eloquently written novel concerning an English butler named Stevens. This a well crafted novel that may serve as a diversion from more typical genre.
I had not idea what this book was about. I saw it on many "must read" lists. A novel about a very proper and stuffy English butler would seem be too prosaic to be interesting. Somehow Shiguro pulls it off.
Although the accolades for this piece of work seem overdone, a book lover with a broad palette, should enjoy this unique and well written novel.
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