The Remains of the Day | Kazuo Ishiguro | "In bantering lies the key to human warmth."

The Remains of the Day | Kazuo Ishiguro | Mr. Stevens is among the finest creations in English literature

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The Remains of the...

	The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro Vintage, 1990 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 197 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

"In bantering lies the key to human warmth."

"A 'great' butler can only be, surely, one who can point to his years of service and say that he has applied his talents to serving a great gentleman--and through the latter, in serving humanity" (p. 117).

The Remains of the Day (1989) is the third novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (1954). It won the Booker prize in 1989. The book's title not only refers to the time of day (evening), when the narrator reflects upon his day's work, but also upon his mature age, from which he can reflect upon his life. The title also refers to the last grand houses of Great Britain's staffed with butlers such as Ishiguro's narrator, Stevens.

Stevens is a loyal English butler who has who dedicated his life to the service of Lord Darlington. Upon receiving a letter from an ex co-worker Miss Kenton describing her unhappy married life, and at the encouragement of his new employer, Mr. Farraday, an American, Stevens borrows a car to take a "motoring trip" to revisit Miss Kenton. Along the way (in a plot structure reminiscent of Bergman's Wild Strawberries - Criterion Collection) Stevens reflects upon his service to Lord Darlington, the meaning of "dignity," his relationship with his father, and his true feelings for Miss Kenton, whom he cherishes. It was because of his service to Lord Darlington that Stevens never acted upon his love for Miss Kenton. Although she offered him her love, he refused to even acknowledge her feelings by allowing himself to be "off duty" in her presence (p. 169). Rather, all his life Stevens has been consumed by the desire to be a "great" butler, which for him has meant embodying the ideals of service, dignity, and composure. Ultimately, The Remains of The Day is a poignant meditation upon missed opportunities and lost love; one cannot "turn back the clock," as Stevens puts it (p. 239). Ishiguro succeeds at drawing the reader into Stevens' loss as a result of placing duty above the needs of his heart. This is a perfect novel, one that I highly recommend, along with the 1993 Merchant-Ivory must-see film The Remains of the Day (Special Edition) starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

One of my 10 favorite novels of the last 25 years.

G. Merritt

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Mr. Stevens is among the finest creations in English literature

The story of The Remains of the Day unfolds in a strange but effective way. The narrator is Mr. Stevens, the key character in the novel, and it is his voice that tells the increasingly revealing tale of his life as a 'gentleman's gentleman'.

However, Ishiguro does not simply allow Stevens to give us a memoir of his life from the perspective of advanced years. Instead Stevens records his motoring trip across England as if he is keeping an hourly diary, perhaps spoken into a dictaphone (if such technology had existed in the mid-1950s when the main story is set). This device allows us to experience each stage of the journey as it happens and, more importantly, Steven's growing self-awareness as he tries to piece together the significance of events from his past life.

The writing style reflects the period and the character of Stevens beautifully. As narrator, he seems unable or unwilling to acknowledge the emotions that always threaten to unseat the 'dignity' to which he aspires. In his conversations with Miss Kenton, he uses language to preserve decorum at all costs. Passion is his enemy and he fights a lifelong battle against it.

In Mr. Stevens, Ishiguro has given us one of the greatest creations in all of English literature. It is a wonderful accomplishment and the author fully deserves every plaudit and honour he has received for this masterpiece.

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Excellent

Ishiguro is an amazing writer and this novel is no exception. This work is presented first through memories and recollections during a road trip and later via an interaction at the end of the trip and reflections on that interaction. Ishiguro presents a question, which I will not ruin here, that everyone should ask themselves. Before you ask the question he presents you must read this book immediately.

The best of Ishiguro

In a world full of "good" books, Remains of the Day stands out as a truly amazing one. It speaks to Kazuo Ishiguro's talent that such a simple plot about a reserved English butler could be so engrossing and heartbreaking. The end of the book is especially powerful, and likely to leave any reader thinking about it long after they've finished. This is easily the best work of Ishiguro and, in my opinion, one of the best modern novels out there. Not to be missed.

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A Devoted Professional

Brilliant novel about a butler so dedicated to perfection that he suppresses all human emotion in the quest for professional "dignity" and service to a great man. Feelings of love, grief, guilt & shame are banished in a life of service, and Stevens is ever searching for a way to improve, even in (what should be) casual "banterings" with a new American employer. However, traces of the butler's humanity emerge as he travels the countryside in hopes of having a former maid return to Darlington Hall. The true character of his former employer, the words of a letter from Miss Kenton, and his own past behavior are under scrutiny during his travels. I loved the subtlety & elegant melancholy of this novel. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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