![]() Throughout the story, the reader begins to realise that the butler, Stevens, hasn’t been entirely straight with us. ![]() But not so for Kazuo Ishiguro, who proves that sometimes quite mundane setups can give birth to wonderfully poignant works of art. ![]() If someone like me had written this book, that description would have done it justice. He decides to spend his week exploring the English countryside, reflecting on his life and career as he does so. He is also allowed to borrow the latter’s fancy Ford. Set in the 1960s, an ageing butler is given the week off by his wealthy American employer. On the face of it, the plotline sounds pretty basic. That, I suspect, is the reason I hadn’t yet picked one up.Īs it turns out, ‘The Remains of the Day’ was an inspired present. But it does mean that it’s difficult to know what to expect from one of his novels. It’s unusual to have such a wide variety of subject matter so universally praised. He has always seemed a bit of a mystery figure to me, having written books ranging from fantasy (‘The Buried Giant’) to period pieces (‘The Remains of the Day’) to a romance about clones (‘Never Let Me Go’). This is the first book by Kazuo Ishiguro that I’ve ever read. Proof, if ever it were needed, that nagging does work. ![]() This year I was rewarded with a book as well. He doesn’t like to celebrate V-Day, but I demand a card yearly. ‘The Remains of the Day’ was Mr Shelf’s Valentine’s present this year. Get yourself a man who buys you books instead of chocolates. ![]()
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