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The Remains of the Day (Vintage International) (平装)
by Kazuo Ishiguro
| Category:
Fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 158.00
MSL price:
¥ 148.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Profoundly moving, beautifully elegant, this story of human warmth is made so rich and readable through a contrast between perception and reality. |
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AllReviews |
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M. J. Smith (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
This book deserved its Booker Prize (and more). Take a well-written, understated story of a butler adjusting to a new (American) gentleman, put the butler on his first road trip, have the memory of his butler-father intermingle with his trying to make sense of his new world - you get this thought-provoking tale. What are the limits of professionalism and loyalty? How does one maintain these qualities in a world in which their definitions appear to be changing? How does one admit to themselves that clinging to old ways leave one unable to read correctly present situations much less respond correctly? These questions are explored in a tale of grace and humor. Recommended. |
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Ethan Cooper (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
Stevens, the narrator of this mesmerizing book, is an elderly (60+) English butler who has managed the same great English house for more than 20 years. In expression and action, Stevens is restrained, precise, articulate, and dignified, as well as masterful in crisis. These are all attributes that, in his own mind, make a butler "great."
Throughout his narrative, Stevens explores this question of greatness in his profession. This exploration can be summarized as the questions: To achieve greatness, does the family a butler serves have to be noble? Does that family have to take a public stand on the great moral issue of the day? What happens if that family takes a misguided stand for moral reasons and ends on the wrong side?
In exploring these questions, Stevens tells us about the events, both great and small, at Darlington Hall that illuminate his battle for professional greatness. In doing so, he makes clear that the cost of this so-called greatness is impersonality, the suppression of emotion, and, ultimately, isolation and life as an artifact. Whatever the cause of this trade-off, the narrative shows Stevens choosing the security of relentless duty over family and love.
Ultimately, Stevens tells a sad, compelling, and surprisingly touching story. And, it's clear Stevens is unlucky, with moments of greatness in his profession coinciding with turning points in his personal life. Clearly, the momentum of great events kept him from making good choices.
The Remains of the Day is a tremendous literary achievement, without a word out of place until the very end. But then, Ishiguro has Stevens, in interaction with his old flame, acknowledge that his heart is breaking. And, the final paragraphs show Stevens accepting a role in life for rapport and emotion. Ishiguro, clearly, believes life without emotion is empty. But these positions represent a sentimental sea change for the troubled Stevens. Nonetheless, a great book! |
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Andy Orrock (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
The spotlight reviewer who called Kazuo Ishiguro's masterpiece "deceptively simple" got it spot on. This is a brilliant book, ideally realized.
The tone of Remains of the Day is set immediately in the first paragraph, when the protagonist, butler Stevens, goes on rather obsessively about a small journey he's about to undertake. Over the pages that follow, we see and listen to Stevens overanalyze everything to the point of absurdity, but - as we slowly find out - his attention to detail and duty has resulted in a dually tragic "can't see the forest for the trees" lifetime of missed opportunity.
Indeed (as Mr. Ishiguro would surely preface), his blind sense of devotion to his employer has prevented Stevens from seeing the man's tragic missteps; and, he's completely bollixed up clear signals of romantic interest from Miss Kenton (indelibly portrayed on-screen by Emma Thompson). The author's triumph is that he manages to convey both these disappointments while never breaking the stride of Stevens' perspective of remembrance. It's no wonder Ishiguro's best work ran off with the UK's prestigious Booker Prize.
You've got to imagine that when the production team of James Ivory, Ismail Merchant and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala got their hands on Remains of the Day when it came out in 1989, they must have thought they'd died and gone to heaven. Along with Howard's End, the 1993 film version of the book captures the essence of the Merchant-Ivory production house style. |
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Bob (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-08 00:00>
Listening to a well mannered man servant, or butler, about his professional ideals of the service to the lord can be too much for the American reading public. But, Ishiguro does it masterfully with this insightful piece about a butler who worked for a lord basically overlapping and between the two great wars.
Pride in his work is what he describes as the professional demeanor of the butler. There are references to an equivalent to a Butler's Hall of Fame, and how our butler's father may have been one to be included - as well as himself. But, ironically, as we learn more about the revered lord to whom our butler serves, the more we learn that the butler's character exceeds the lord - who we discover is a lame "good old boy" from another generation whose best intentions become his worst nightmares.
The love for a woman is distant - they actually feel deeply for one another but never even embraced or discussed their respective emotions. The concept of human emotion is stilted in a manner which makes it difficult for American readers to understand, but the author does a great job of leading our Yank noses through such an education.
Most of the thoughts or memories occur while riding 4 days to see the butler's "almost" old flame. And, it was a great ride. Thank God, this author had the knowledge and savvy to assure us not to plod through another 4 days. I say this because during the 4 day journey, we learned, we lived, and we saw enough of the unfortunate soul from whom this book is written in the first person. We understood, and understood well, just how proud and sad the butler was, is and will be. |
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