Average Bufph Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Kazuo Ishiguro
2009-01-08
*Kazuo Ishiguro's new novel Klara and the Sun is now available*
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE
A contemporary classic, The Remains of the Day is Kazuo Ishiguro's beautiful and haunting evocation of life between the wars in a Great English House.
In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the countryside and into his past.
'A triumph . . . This wholly convincing portrait of a human life unweaving before your eyes is inventive and absorbing, by turns funny, absurd and ultimately very moving.' Sunday Times
'A dream of a book: a beguiling comedy of manners that evolves almost magically into a profound and heart-rending study of personality, class and culture.' New York TImes Book Review
Ishiguro's prose is a masterclass in restrained elegance, a poignant reflection on the passage of time and the inexorable march of history. The narrative's focus on the inner life of a butler serves as a poignant metaphor for the human condition, exploring themes of duty, regret, and the elusive nature of happiness. The author's ability to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere is unparalleled, drawing the reader into a world that is both familiar and profoundly alien. The emotional resonance of the story lingers long after the final page is turned, a testament to the power of Ishiguro's storytelling.
