The Remains of the Day: Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, here is “an intricate and dazzling novel” (The New York Times) about the perfect butler and his fading, insular world in post-World War II England.
This is Kazuo Ishiguro's profoundly compelling portrait of a butler named Stevens. Stevens, at the end of three decades of service at Darlington Hall, spending a day on a country drive, embarks as well on a journey through the past in an effort to reassure himself that he has served humanity by serving the "great gentleman," Lord Darlington. But lurking in his memory are doubts about the true nature of Lord Darlington's "greatness," and much graver doubts about the nature of his own life.
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Readers say *The Remains of the Day* is a beautifully written, evocative novel praised for Ishiguro’s elegant prose, vivid portrayal of a butler’s lif...
It may just be my current frame of mind, but the ending of this book just ripped my heart out. This is a beautifully written novel about a man realizing too late that he has neglected to live his life. The descriptions of the English countryside and his reminiscences do lead him beyond his regrets and to a desire and possibility to live a larger life.
“It is my impression that our generation was the first to recognize something which had passed the notice of all earlier generations: namely that the great decisions of the world are not, in fact, arrived at simply in the public chambers, or else during a handful of days given over to an international conference under the full gaze of the public and press. Rather, debates are conducted, and crucial decisions arrived at, in the privacy and calm of the great houses of this country.”
Great thoughtful story about looking back at one's past. Full review on the site.
thenextgoodbook.com
Great thoughtful story about looking back at one's past. Full review on the site.
thenextgoodbook.com
I just finished reading this book and I immediately want to re-read it. I picked it up because I read Never Let Me Go and I felt very underwhelmed by it so I wanted to try another Ishiguro book. Picking this up, I did not realise how much I would adore it. It does not seem like something I would like but it has this very distinct tragically poignant elegance to it. It's masterfully written, hauntingly beautiful, and overall encased with this feeling of melancholy and isolation.
Stevens is so blinded by duty he fails to comprehend anything else around him and his prioritisation of professionalism limits him from forming genuine human connections with people. And even after it all, all of this reflection where we unravel his unreliable narration and his past that intermingles with the future, he comes back to his responsibilities, wanting to learn to banter because it's what he thinks he should do, even as he is now aware of what he could have had.
It's beautiful and melancholy and just so wonderful.
Stevens is so blinded by duty he fails to comprehend anything else around him and his prioritisation of professionalism limits him from forming genuine human connections with people. And even after it all, all of this reflection where we unravel his unreliable narration and his past that intermingles with the future, he comes back to his responsibilities, wanting to learn to banter because it's what he thinks he should do, even as he is now aware of what he could have had.
It's beautiful and melancholy and just so wonderful.
Sometimes, it’s the simplest of stories that have the most profound impact.
An English butler takes a road trip and ruminates about his past decisions. Sounds boring, right?
But, no. I was captivated by Stevens narrative from the first page. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes this story so engrossing. Maybe it’s the detached, proper English Stevens uses to narrate his life, even when describing the death of his father. Perhaps it’s the Hemingway-style prose that has way more depth than what’s on the surface.
Whatever it is about this book, it works.
An English butler takes a road trip and ruminates about his past decisions. Sounds boring, right?
But, no. I was captivated by Stevens narrative from the first page. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes this story so engrossing. Maybe it’s the detached, proper English Stevens uses to narrate his life, even when describing the death of his father. Perhaps it’s the Hemingway-style prose that has way more depth than what’s on the surface.
Whatever it is about this book, it works.
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