Comments on: “The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro

By: Steph

Steph — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:07:40 +0000

@ verbivore: Before reading this one, I was not all that interested in reading Ishiguro’s back catalog… but now! I am craving him! I know that on our next visit to McKay’s I’ll snatch up anything by him that they happen to have!

@ sasha: It’s so funny that you bought so many books by him but never tried any of them! Ah well, I fully believe that there’s a right time and place for books, and maybe you just haven’t found the right time for Ishiguro! It seems like I hadn’t until this year!

@ Kay: There were so many things I could have loved about NLMG on paper (I love dystopian fiction, for instance!) but in the end, I was so underwhelmed! I wish it had grown on me, but it didn’t! But this one was a winner right from the start! I hope you do get the chance to try it!

@ Nymeth: I think this is one of my all-time favorites now too! I’m sure I’ll be guided by what I can get my hands on at the used-bookstore, but I have to say that I’m really excited to read more Ishiguro now!

By: Nymeth

Nymeth — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:14:09 +0000

Fabulous review – I’m so glad you loved this book! As you know, I did like Never Let Me Go, but I do prefer Remains of the Day. It’s one of my all-time favourites, in fact. Sadly, those two are the only ones I’ve read, so I can’t recommend where to go next.

By: Kay

Kay — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:04:09 +0000

Great review Steph. I read “Never let me go” last summer, and like Amanda I wasn’t impressed by it, but it grew on me over time and became one of my favorite books of the year. I would be curious to read “The remains of the day” and see whether I like it more or not!

By: Sasha

Sasha — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:47:51 +0000

Up until a few months ago, I had three Ishiguro books on my shelves–he was someone I’d keep picking up, meaning to read him “for later.” That time never came, and I sold those books to people who’d like them. I just never got around to staying with those books whenever I’d creak them open.

I know I’m missing out, haha, but he and I just don’t meld. Maybe someday. Maybe. Maybe one book. I’ll certainly try.

By: verbivore

verbivore — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:38:03 +0000

I have always meant to read this and I even have a nice hardbound copy. I’ll get to it – I have his Nocturnes as well. But I’ve read Never Let Me Go (which I loved) and An Artist of the Floating World (also really loved). I admire his writing quite a bit.

By: Steph

Steph — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:11:12 +0000

@ Nish: Maybe with each Ishiguro novel I will come to like him more and more… I will be curious to see!

@ Care: Your thoughts on Ishiguro’s style are really interesting – I do see similarities between this novel and NLMG, but I felt like this novel was brimming with emotion whereas NLMG just left me so cold. I guess I found that his style didn’t work for me the first time, but it did the second!

By: Care

Care — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:28:10 +0000

Very interesting, I had the opposite impression. I loved Never Let Me Go and then read When We Were Orphans which did not work at all for me. SO I picked up Remains of the Day and have decided that Ishiguro’s style is one that only worked the one/first time. DO SEE THE FILM! – it is excellent.

By: Nish

Nish — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:59:28 +0000

Sorry to hear that Never Let me Go didn’t work for you. I am a huge KI fan. I read Remains of the Day first and quite liked it, but never really got the hype. I then read Never Let me Go, and it just blew me away.

I suppose reading KI is like an acquired taste? You could also try Artist of the Floating World. It is interesting in that, this is essentially a Japanese story unlike the others

By: Steph

Steph — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:55:06 +0000

@ Kathleen: Well, this wasn’t my first Ishiguro, but I felt a bit left out too because the one I had read was one I didn’t really care for but everyone else seemed to love! I hope that you get to read this one some day!

@ Dorothy: I’m glad I finally get the Ishiguro hype! I just found this book so rich and rewarding… now I”m especially intrigued about The Unconsoled, since it seems to be a pretty divisive novel!

@ softdrink: This was really one of those books that was just about luxuriating in the experience and appreciating the journey. I thought the ending was brilliant, but the entire book was breathtaking!

@ Claire: I really think you would love this book! And you’re right that I need to be more open-minded about giving writers a second chance. Or maybe I need to me more discerning about which books of an author I try first?

By: Claire (Paperback_Reader)

Claire (Paperback_Reader) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:31:06 +0000

I haven’t read any Ishiguro yet but always intended to, especially now that I have read this glowing review. I am a firm believer of giving writers a second chance and not judging them solely on one book.