Kazuo Ishiguro - Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.
Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: What does it mean to love?

Comment: In the beginning of the year, I had agreed with a friend we would read this book together, since the blurb seemed intriguing enough and we had both read other books by the author, knowing there is always something in them to inspire a discussion. We agreed on June to read it and I already finished but I must say I wasn't as impressed as I wished.

In this new book by the Nobel Prize winner, we follow the POV of Klara, an Artificial Friend, meaning a robot, which is made to be a companion to children, apparently.The time in which this novel happens is never directly mentioned but from little references it is set in the future, in a sort of dystopia reality. Klara is a robot and she likes to watch people from the window store where she is placed until the day she is purchased by Josie and her mother and a new existence starts for her. However, by moving in to their house and watching the dynamics, Klara realizes there's more going on than just Josie being sometimes ill. But Klara is a friend and she takes her role seriously, so she will try to find a way to help or cure Josie and she knows one way but will it work?

Thinking on the previous novels by the author I read, I'd say this one has a similar vibe to Never Let Me Go, in the sense the action takes place in a dystopian society but where we recognize most of the "rules". The story is told from the POV of one character and the kind of situations described all feel rather simple and relatable, except the few obvious signs something is different or the little clues which tell us something is weird. That is why I thought there would be a specific twist or secret being held and that would become quite a reveal later on.

Sadly for me, this didn't happen. I think the story build up expectations by how little the clues were on what could possible be wrong and while reading, even distracted by the more insistent scenes with the main characters, there was always this doubt: are the clues part of the twist or are they leading to something we cannot even think of? I really imagined the author had devised another amazing tale in this one, especially after the human characters start asking Klara to do certain things. In the end, however, I got the feeling nothing really happened which one could say mattered to the understanding of the plot.

Klara is the main character and being a robot, one could expect her descriptions and behavior being formal or within a limit. But she has the power of observation and initiative, she isn't only a follower of rules/orders. I thought the goal would be to put her in a situation where she had to care/like/love someone? Meaning, helping Josie because they were friends and how would that affect her behavior. In a way, this did, indeed, happen, and Klara tries to do something, from her own initiative, to help Josie become better but the end game was definitely not satisfying. I think the opportunity to use Klara as the symbol for something extra was lost.

Portuguese cover

It feels like the story seemed to give the idea of promising something, the tone and certain scenes were mysterious on purpose, the plot was extremely vague on the whole set up and why human people behaved the way they did and when the story ended, why there was need for artificial friends like Klara or why did groups of children interact like they do, all this and other details made the plot intriguing. Nevertheless, it was as unclear what the goal and reasons were for everything and when I begun reading, it seemed things would follow a certain path and then...they didn't. I was disappointed with the end, it was a little too vague for the amount of build up and it felt as if none of the past events mattered after all.

Everything considered, this wasn't a story I'll remember that much but I did leave with the impression it could have been much better, both if it had gone into the study of human nature or into more sci fi scenarios. In the end, what a pity in my opinion.

Grade: 6/10

Kazuo Ishiguro - The Buried Giant

The extraordinary new novel from the author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize winning The Remains of the Day. The Romans have long since departed, and Britain is steadily declining into ruin. But at least the wars that once ravaged the country have ceased. The Buried Giant begins as a couple, Axl and Beatrice, set off across a troubled land of mist and rain in the hope of finding a son they have not seen for years. They expect to face many hazards – some strange and other-worldly – but they cannot yet foresee how their journey will reveal to them dark and forgotten corners of their love for one another. Sometimes savage, often intensely moving, Kazuo Ishiguro's first novel in a decade is about lost memories, love, revenge and war.

Comment: I got this book at my loal library the last time I went there. This is the fourth book by Ishiguro I've tried and I must say of the four of them, this is probably the one I struggled the most with.

In this novel, the author uses an almost fantasy scenario to create a story about lost memories and the outcome of war.

An older couple, Axl and Beatrice are presented to us when they decide to momentarily leave their village to go see their son, who lives in another place. It's been years since they saw them and for Beatrice is imperative that they travel to see him.

The circumstances of their life at the village are odd but even more so is the journey they embark, especially because of the people they encounter and the things they see and learn along the way. 

In the end, the couple must decide if the journey was worth it or if the secrets uncovered during it don't justify the high price paid...

I'm not certain I can translate into words why this story felt a little unsuccessful to me. The author is acclaimed for his novels on the memory theme (for the most part) and how characters react to things around them by remembering past events, situations and so on. It's almost as if the character is looking for something somewhere and the solution for their dilemmas is in their past experiences. I know this can sound vague and in this novels' case, even redundant since the whole book is centered on the couple's physical journey but of course what matters is their emotional one.

I just struggled to follow the points that matter because there are too many weird elements in the novel.

Some readers have commented that this story led nowhere and there are no answers to get from the whole experience. Axl and Beatrice go on their journey and during the time it takes the story to be finished they uncover some truths about themselves and things they did in their past. Some aren't what we would expect but the thing is, all these things are told to us in such a vague manner, almost dreamlike, that I was never certain about what it was supposed to mean nor if there is a specific lesson/point I should have understood. I still can't tell if some things were real or not regarding the couple's lives.

There are also some interesting and weird elements throughout this novel. The setting is clearly the time after the Roman empire leaves Great Britain and there is a lot of talk about the Arthur legend and some characters. 

The tone of this story is mysterious, there are things that, while unclear in general, add to the atmosphere of the story. Others are simply too weird and I can't understand why they would matter (such as some paranormal effects) unless the purpose is to confuse the reader all the time.

I just think there was this crescendo of expectation, of a quest that would end in a certain goal but the goal never really happened.

We discover some things about Axl and Beatrice's life that explain some of these inconsistencies int he novel but it was never really satisfying after so many pages.

I could see how the author would want to impress on the reader certain subjects by having all this vagueness and weird elements but some things don't really seem to be connected. I also read somewhere he used a lot of subtlety and I must say not only do I agree but would say is too much.

If one can't connect with the characters, their goal, their lives, how can the story be a cohesive one to be appreciated? Just my opinion.

The other books I've read by the author were interesting enough but in all I expected something more (except Remains of the Day, which was awesome) but this one felt a little less strong overall. Still, it had a scene here and there that was quite well done.

Grade: 5/10

Kazuo Ishiguro - The Remains of the Day

The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second World War, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him -- oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking, pitch-perfect novel -- namely, Stevens' own ability to allow some bit of life-affirming love into his tightly repressed existence.

Comment: This is the third book I read by Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro and so far, my absolute favorite. I'm not actually trying to go through all his books but since I've seen them available at the library, why not use the opportunity to update on his work?

The previous books I've read weren't as amazing as I imagined but I finished them with different grading in mind. This one, however, ended up being my favorite.

This books can be described as a huge monologue presented by Stevens, the perfect butler of the old days when distinguished families of aristocrats used to have many servants in their houses. Stevens is a man of few words, and in this book he describes a car trip he has after years of service and all the contemplations the travel induces in him. Stevens is on his way to see another employee of the house where he has always worked in, Darlington Hall. The woman left the service to be married and after years of not seeing each other, Sevens wants to make certain she is well, considering a letter he received and where all pointed out for her marriage to not be as steady as he imagined...

There could be countless things to write about this book because each sentence has something to wonder about, to let the reader think. If one had the time, every detail would be a good enough conversation reason but to me, the fascination about this book is such that I don't have as many worthy words to write as the book itself is incredible. So, basically, I'll just write a little bit of why I liked it.

The writing style of this book isn't easy, the narrator Stevens does get lost a lot on his memories and it reads a bit like when we talk with someone, we also mention many things out of order. At first this felt complicated but with time I've come to enjoy immensely the "losing track" because that's when Stevens would add the most poignant sections of his memories. I can understand why some readers might not like this style, also not the time it takes for any useful information to be understood but for me it was a great way to be in tune with the narrators feelings and emotions and that certainly made it all worth it.

Everything we learn, in terms of plot, is through Stevens' eyes. This means we must infer several things, unless in a conversation with other characters we see a different POV and get other knowledge. This means Stevens is very proper, very controlled and never says something out of place, out line, out of proportion. Most of the details are so subtle we do need to read between the lines to better understand why some things are happening or would Stevens have described them that way. This is both slow and intriguing and I liked how much like a treasure it would be to discover something new in his words.

One such example is the relationship he had with miss Kenton, the housekeeper. They always had professional, cordial and objective conversations, even when they spent some time together at the end of the day discussing house matters.

Oh to describe perfectly the emotion of how subtle and powerful their feelings were just by the almost impersonal words they exchanged and later on to really read how Steven's heart was breaking after he heard something confirmed at last... I can't describe it, but those sentences were perfect, perfect, perfect!

Attention, this is no love story, but the way one could contain emotion while showing a professional demeanor and still let the reader "see" it... this section, closer to the end of the book, after pages and pages of subtle information being given just made it all worth to me.

There are some less than interesting details related to specific characters but most of the time, I was engrossed in the novel! To think that just by not being able to think ahead, the things we miss or don't realize we miss... but time doesn't go back. I liked the way this made me think about so many situations and how people can be so focused on one aspect of their lives, they disregard everything else (even if not so much in this society where we are bombarded with news and tales everywhere).

This is really literary in its presentation but what a gem to read.

Recommended.

Grade: 9/10

Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro has been acclaimed in the Sunday Times for 'extending the possibilities of fiction. In Never Let Me Go he has fashioned another remarkable story - a story of love, loss and hidden truths - that takes its place among his finest work.
Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were pupils at Hailsham - an idyllic establishment situated deep in the English countryside. The children there were tenderly sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe they were special, and that their personal welfare was crucial. But for what reason were they really there?
It is only years later that Kathy, now aged thirty-one, finally allows herself to yield to the pull of memory. What unfolds is the haunting story of how Kathy, Ruth and Tommy slowly come to face the truth about their seemingly happy childhoods - and about their futures.

Comment: When I saw this book available at my local library I decided to bring it with me because I remember reading somewhere it was a good one and since I had only read one book by the author I imagined it would be a good time to read another and compare how much I liked the style or if the other title I've read had been only an exception.

This is a disturbing story about an idyllic internal college for "special" children in England during a time we get to understand is a "possible" alternate world had things gone differently somehow. 

The story is told from the perspective of Kathy, the narrator and she tells us her story as a retrospective which means everything she says has already happened. However, despite the apparent simplicity of the tale, the truth is a lot more terrifying than one could imagine after all the pieces of the puzzle are put together.

This book is labeled in many different ways but to me I'd say this is fiction and that's it. 

However, another description is alternate reality/dystopian and that could fit it as well. 

I don't think I can write a lot about this without spoilers but the story is always a mystery to us until the end. There are obvious clues and hints here and there but I must say, after all the promising, after a sort of expectation the climax is a bit of a let down. I can understand the author's idea but... not the best execution and style.

Kathy is the narrator and she tells us things that have happened. This writing style has it's good details but overall the talking about something we hae no control of can be very frustrating and rather pointless. This tactic does allow us to get to know many details that unless the action was now on it, it would be too difficult to get with the same sad tone.

But Kathy is a very pragmatic character and her voice is more resigned than sad. I still felt sorry for her and those she knew from school but her tale could have been a lot more dramatic (in a good way).

The school hides a secret which isn't difficult to understand but after all the promising clues and crescendo of issues, does it reach apeak we wouldn't be able to imagine any other way?

No.

It's rather disappointing in that regard, what a great potential lost.

I can see why the author prefers to focus on the characters' personal lives and not the concept of the school itself since it obviously hides something shocking. It's supposed to make us even more horrified about what is going on. But, sincerely, all things considered, besides the idea of it, the scenes themselves are too hidden or unimportant to the plot on hand: I think the idea is too disturbing to contemplate but it would have been even harder to accept, the impact would have been perfection on out views if the characters had learned along with the reader.

The way things happen, I can't help thinking, if they knew about their fate and the school's secret so soon, why haven't they done differently? Why haven't they changed their lives somehow? How is it fate plays such a part but so avoidable considering some knowledge we get the students are intelligent? I can't understand this notion of just accepting their fate since this is still a contemporary story and they are not prisoners their whole lives.

This is one of those books that only reading can we have an opinion and there is a lot to debate but in trying to be subtle and lyric at times, I think the author let go of too much potential and that is quite a pity on what could have been outstanding. For me, it was good but not great but I'll probably will read more by the author.

Grade: 7/10

Kazuo Ishiguro - When We Were Orphans

England, 1930s. Christopher Banks has become the country's most celebrated detective, his cases the talk of London society. Yet one unsolved crime has always haunted him; the mysterious disappearance of his parents, in Old Shanghai, when he was a small boy. Now, as the world lurches towards total war, Banks realises the time has come for him to return to the city of his childhood and at last solve the mystery - that only by his doing so will civilisation be saved from the approaching catastrophe.
Moving between London and Shanghai of the inter-war years, When We Were Orphans is a story of memory, intrigue and the need to return; of a childhood vision of the world surviving deep into adulthood, indelibly shaping and distorting a person's life.

Comment: I was at my local library and this book caught my eye. I knew the author is this year's Nobel Prize winner but while I didn't run to get his books immediately, I still remembered and considering this book wasn't too big, I thought it would be a good way to know his work and see if I could also think he deserved the prize.

This book is focused on Christopher Banks, an english man who has lived his childhood in Shanghai and now has a career as a detective, simply because he has had this golden image of detectives in China, looking for his missing parents.Although years have passed, the mystery remains until Christopher finally decided it's time for him to return and use his currently famous skills to uncover what happened so many years ago. But will Christopher like what he finds?

Reading this book was quite an experience. It's not a big book but I confess I wasn't always able to easily focus on what I was doing and often I was easily distracted. Still, it was very interesting to follow the mystery of the disappearance of Christopher's parents, especially because the outcome wasn't what I expected, even if I suspected something on those general lines.

Many readers have commented one of the biggest struggles is the lack of connection with the narrator, Christopher, because he is seen as just a character looking for a goal at the expanse of other details, and we never get to really know him and his thoughts on mundane things, such as how he solves the mysteries in his work. However, I didn't really mind not having more of Christopher's ideas as a grown up. The real beauty in his character is how he has manage to retain so many memories of his past and this clouds him today. One could say this isn't precisely a matter of beauty, but the writing has its appeal in this: we are carried along with Christopher to what he sees and wants to know and not as much the outside details that could have let us engage with his personality more, but...

What really made me like this book was Christopher's detailed images of his past. It's a known fact when we grow old, when we grow up, many of the things that used to make us us are gone, are dismissed, are put aside as fancy childhood phases. We remember this and that but it's gone, it's forever in the past and we can't live it again. Christopher has moved from Shanghai to England but his home will always be Shanghai in a way. How incredibly sad this can be, this need to hold on to things that used to be so fierce and engraved in one's mind but then they disappear. Christopher just focused on this, so he could not only regain his childhood feelings but the way he saw himself at that time. Finding his parents was like finally remembering there was a missed light to turn off after leaving the house and Christopher wants closure but that's not easy to accomplish.

The secondary situations that are part of this book, even the characters, all that almost seems to lack importance but we can see it's just a means for Christopher to remember and to let us know why his demand can't be over until he finds his parents.

I won't reveal the end, the twist but I shed one or two tears when Christopher finds the truth about everything that happened and although I can say it was rather melodramatic, it was interesting to squeeze it all to one basic sentence: our memories can be deceiving, we only remember things partially but the love of a mother can be...everything, forever.

Since I could overlook pretty much everything but Christopher and his wish to find a truth for what his memories meant and still do, this book was a good one for me. But I can understand many readers there are many flaws overall to make it a success. But well, each person sees things differently... I do agree the last 40 pages or something were somehow too weird but... in general, I can say I liked it.

Grade: 7/10