Review in
- Diane, the eBookWitch
- Feb 16, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 18, 2020
The Remains of the Day
By Kazuo Ishiguro
Star Rating (out of 5): ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Would recommend: if you don't mind uninspired life stories that are quite skillfully written and emotionally poignant
Published date: 2014 (og: 1989)
Publisher: Vintage Canada (og: Lester & Orpen Dennys)
Page numbers: 300
Genre: Historical Literary Fiction
Format read in: Paperback
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What it is about...
A butler reminiscing on major events of his life while on a driving journey.
I liked...
- The main character is unreliable. As he looks back on a few memories that turn out to be major moments of his life, he seems to be completely devoid of emotions, but it's far from the truth. As a butler, he lived his role his entire life, always conducting himself in a calm and posed, sometimes stoic and apathetic manner, even in the most trying times. And it is therefore through his interactions with other people that we are told about his real feelings. This was done masterfully. - The memories were beautifully narrated. They were the most engrossing parts in my opinion. I loved that he goes on a journey both literally and metaphorically.
I disliked...
- The writing was a bit over the top (with the overuse of "one" as a subject), which at times interfered with the flow of the prose.
- The present storyline was not as interesting as the recounting of his memories.
TLDR...
This is not a book for everyone because it is quite dull. Nothing really happens, it's simply a slice of life of someone who has thrived his entire life to be a great butler. We never truly connect with him through his hardships because he never shares any emotions directly as he cannot separate himself from his profession and duty. However, we know there has to be a deep kind of suffering in living this way, always ignoring feelings and it is with great sadness that we witness, as he reminisces on his past, his painful realization that he has never truly lived. A moving story that is so much more than a Butler's lackluster past, if you are willing to read between the lines.
Have you read this book? What are your thought on it? Let me know in the comments!
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