Reviews

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

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megane_panda's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bhnmt61's review

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5.0

Mr Stevens, the butler of a distinguished British household in the years leading up to and following World War II, finds himself toward the end of his career reminiscing about his life. The book is written to someone, as if he were writing a letter, but the person he is addressing is never specifically identified (that I remember). It is beautifully written, and the heavily repressed butler is fully realized as a complex and lovely and tragic human being. Unlike almost every book I’ve read, it did not seem too long. It is exactly as long as it needs to be. I’m giving it five stars because I admire it so much— the writing is brilliant— but I have to admit my usual standard is how much I enjoyed reading it, and by that standard it’s more a four star read.

irisjune's review against another edition

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such skillful writing, conveying layers of identity, memory, and regret

adhvaya's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

cristamajo's review

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5.0

Man.... Ishiguro is my favorite author of all time. Literary genius. I'm currently writing a paper on this, so I don't really have it in me to give this the review it deserves, but my god this is spectacular

notrg's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

stierwood's review against another edition

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5.0

Oh I did not expect this strange, delightful book to be so devastating as well. Ishiguro gets so into his character— I’ve rarely read one so fleshed out before and it makes him all the more sympathetic. A book about indecision, about performance of all types, about possession, loyalty, dignity. Last sentence particularly got me. Thinking back on my old coworkers in food service jobs who pissed me off so bad cause they had sticks up their asses and took shit way too seriously with newfound, I don’t know, sympathy? Stevens pissed me off too. But I was devastated by his character. The tension between being a possession, a pawn in a system, and possessing one’s own destiny. Loved miss kenton. Diva.