The Remains of the Day

May 01, 2011

Esteban del Mal rated it

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Shelves: fiction, novel

Kazuo Ishiguro writes the anti-haiku: instead of consciousness awakening to the immediacy of the immutable natural world, subjective memory is peeled back layer by layer to expose consciousness; instead of the joyous eruption of awareness, tension of the gradual decompression of ignorance; instead of a humility that acknowledges the unknowable on its own terms, rambling that tries to fill the chasm of existential angst that has suddenly opened up like a sinkhole in being. Yet what his writing sh...more

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Jun 19, 2009

Siria rated it

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Shelves: 20th-century, british-fiction, historical-fiction, by-poc

This is one of the most beautifully mannered, subtle books I've read in a long, long time. Ishiguro's command of prose is perfect; there was never a point where I felt that this book wasn't written by a consummate English gentleman's gentleman. Remains of the Day is also one of the best examples of first person POV that I've read. Stevens' voice is always clear and distinct, and always used to frame the narrative in such a way that the reader is able to see things and guess things which the prot...more

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Oct 23, 2007

Ivy's Mom rated it

Recommends it for: readers who appreciate subtly

Shelves: booker-prize, topshelf, 1001-books

It's not what happens in this story that's important, it's what doesn't happen. It's not what is said, but what is not said.

I almost feel like Stevens in a real person and not a fictional character. He may well be the most tragic figure I've had the honor to meet/read. He tried so hard to do what he thought to be the right thing and in the end it all turned out to the wrong thing...I cried for at least a half hour after I finished the final page. It was a bittersweet moment when ...more

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Jan 10, 2012

Michela rated it

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Quel che resta del giorno
Kazuo Ishiguro.

Apro il libro, leggo le prime pagine e lo richiudo per rileggere bene il nome dell’autore, Ishiguro? Giapponese? Nah non può essere.
Quello che ho tra le mani è un elegantissimo capolavoro inglese, non c’è dubbio. Leggo la biografia di Ishiguro e capisco, è nato a Nagasaki nel 1954 ma si è trasferito a soli 6 anni in Inghilterra, ecco perché c’era il tocco indistinguibile di un inglese.
Posso riprendere il mio libro, e continu...more

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Nov 17, 2007

Kelly rated it

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Recommends it for: those who love character studies and don't mind a slow pace

Shelves: fiction, brit-lit, worlds-lost-dead-and-dying, owned, 20th-century-postwar-to-late, its-the-quiet-ones

This is a work of high skill. Done in the first person, it conveys exactly the tone, workings, and errors of the mind that it lives in. Though it's clear that the narrator is unreliable- and he calls himself out on that a few times by what the reader may be thinking of his train of thought- he uses that unreliable format to his advantage. It is used to make Mr. Stevens more sympathetic and relatable to the reader, who otherwise might have some difficulty finding much in common with a postwar but...moreThis is a work of high skill. Done in the first person, it conveys exactly the tone, workings, and errors of the mind that it lives in. Though it's clear that the narrator is unreliable- and he calls himself out on that a few times by what the reader may be thinking of his train of thought- he uses that unreliable format to his advantage. It is used to make Mr. Stevens more sympathetic and relatable to the reader, who otherwise might have some difficulty finding much in common with a postwar butler's musings.

The novel takes place over the course of six days, during a "motoring trip" in the West Country of England. Mr. Stevens is on his way to see the old housekeeper from Darlington Hall, where he is the butler. His memories of her and their interactions, as well as those of Lord Darlington, make up the majority of the book.

It's an incredibly depressing read, I will say that about it. It is about a man who is trying to deny the possibility that he may have wasted his life. His entire life has been about his professional service, to the exclusion of any personal attachments at all. His failed, hardly even acknowledged feelings for Miss Kenton is the primary example of this, as is his nonexistant relationship with his father. His state of denial is so complete that he turns the most tragic evenings of his life into "great triumphs". And now at the end of his life, he is starting to come to terms with the fact that he has hardly been human for the past thirty five years.

It does read quickly, despite its depressing nature, and its unexpectedly psychologically absorbing. You also must get through the first 30 or so pages where he muses about his profession (though those are revealing of his character). There also is not a lot of action. It's a repressed, quiet, character study, with a few scenes linked together by long periods of reflective, almost philsophical thought.

In other words, right up my alley, though I understand it would not be everyone's cup of tea. (less)

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Jun 04, 2011

Nikki rated it

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, classics

I didn't know much about Remains of the Day. I'd read Never Let Me Go, people had suggested I read more of Ishiguro's work, and I picked it up somewhat at random in, according to the remnants of a tenacious sticker, a PDSA charity shop. I'm glad I did. It's entirely different to Never Let Me Go. It's the story of a butler, who has devoted much of his life to being a perfect one, taking a few days off for the first time in his life and pursuing a personal matter -- not that he can even admit to h...more

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Apr 18, 2011

Monique rated it

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Shelves: award-winners, bestsellers, fiction, historical-fiction, tv-film-adaptation, 2011

I hereby officially declare that I am a fan of Kazuo Ishiguro.

"The Remains of the Day" is disputably Ishiguro's most popular work, having been awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989.

Stevens is an “old-fashioned English Butler” who used to work for Lord Darlington, managing his household, Darlington Hall. During his lifetime, Lord Darlington was a prominent figure, having hobnobbed with rich and famous personalities in and outside Britain; he was even...moreI hereby officially declare that I am a fan of Kazuo Ishiguro.

"The Remains of the Day" is disputably Ishiguro's most popular work, having been awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989.

Stevens is an “old-fashioned English Butler” who used to work for Lord Darlington, managing his household, Darlington Hall. During his lifetime, Lord Darlington was a prominent figure, having hobnobbed with rich and famous personalities in and outside Britain; he was even known to have connections and/or sympathies with Nazi Germany. Stevens highly regarded Lord Darlington and trusted his judgment completely.

Although the story begins in the present time, with Stevens’ current employer, the American Mr. Farraday, encouraging him to take a “motoring trip” in the country for a few days, much of the narrative was introspective, consisting of Stevens’ recollections of years past. While Stevens drives through the country, he likewise takes the opportunity to visit his erstwhile acquaintance, the former Ms. Kenton, who likewise spent years in the employ of Lord Darlington. In her last letter, Ms. Kenton seemingly expressed her desire to return to her former post, as Stevens interpreted her words to mean that her marriage was an unhappy one.

Much like Never Let Me Go, this book was told in the first person point of view -- of Stevens, the protagonist. Patience on the part of the reader is required in order to truly appreciate the beauty of this book. The first few chapters would appear to be uninteresting or boring, even bordering on dull or wearisome, but the book will pick up just when you least expect it. I noticed that Ishiguro is fond of this style: near-dreary, winding narratives, only to have some kind of twist spring up on you just when you’re least expecting it. Of course, having read just two of his works, I cannot be absolutely sure nor would I claim to be an expert.

Although the mood of the story was melancholic, there were some funny parts, too, to which I even chuckled out loud. Reading about Stevens’ career and life as a butler, and how he worked so hard to have that “dignity becoming of the profession”, just like his father had, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. In his fervent desire to be worthy of that “dignity”, there were important relationships that he chose to forego or set aside, and it was only in hindsight – so much later in his life – when he learned of their significance. I say he “chose” to forego them, because he was conscious that the opportunities to do otherwise were already there, ready for the taking, but he decided to let them pass, anyway. These choices, when properly contemplated by the reader, play a significant role on why the novel was entitled, “The Remains of the Day”.

Highly recommended, for some serious reading. :)(less)

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Dec 27, 2011

Chiara Pagliochini rated it

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Shelves: narrativa-contemporanea

“Sono ormai venti minuti da quando l’uomo se n’è andato, ma io sono rimasto qui, seduto su questa panchina, ad aspettare l’evento che sta giusto per verificarsi – vale a dire l’accensione delle luci del molo. Come ho già detto, la felicità di questi cercatori di piacere che si raccolgono qui sul molo ad aspettare il piccolo evento sembra confermare le parole del mio accompagnatore, e cioè che per molte persone la sera è la parte più dolce della giornata. Forse allora c’è qualcosa di giusto in qu...more“Sono ormai venti minuti da quando l’uomo se n’è andato, ma io sono rimasto qui, seduto su questa panchina, ad aspettare l’evento che sta giusto per verificarsi – vale a dire l’accensione delle luci del molo. Come ho già detto, la felicità di questi cercatori di piacere che si raccolgono qui sul molo ad aspettare il piccolo evento sembra confermare le parole del mio accompagnatore, e cioè che per molte persone la sera è la parte più dolce della giornata. Forse allora c’è qualcosa di giusto in quel suo consiglio, che dovrei smettere di guardare indietro così a lungo, adottare una prospettiva più positiva e cercare di fare del mio meglio con quel che resta del giorno. Dopotutto, cosa ci si guadagna a guardarsi sempre indietro, cosa ci si guadagna ad incolparsi se le nostre vite non sono andate proprio come avremmo voluto?”

È curioso come una cosa così piccola come questo romanzo possa essere delicata, intima e toccante. È un po’ come sfiorare con le dita i fili di una ragnatela, senza conoscere quale sia la pressione sufficiente a reciderli. Si ha paura di fare del male a qualcosa di bello. Si ha paura che qualcosa di bello ci faccia del male.
Ed Ishiguro, con questa sola prova, si inserisce nel numero dei narratori inglesi per i quali porto rispetto. Quel fortunato numero di narratori contemporanei (nei quali iscrivo McEwan e Byatt) che non hanno paura di documentarsi prima di scrivere un buon romanzo, che non hanno paura di annoiare e di essere onesti. Quei pochi narratori che sanno che una frase ad effetto ogni tre pagine non fa la fortuna di un romanzo, bensì il suo essere commercializzabile come una prostituta della narrazione. Quei pochi scrittori che una frase la scrivono solo e soltanto se serve, solo e soltanto se è adeguata al contesto e al narratore. Quei pochi scrittori che rispettano il narratore come se fosse una cosa sacra e pur di dargli corpo sono disposti ad annullare quella vocina nella testa che ogni tanto dice, “ma dai, mettici una bella frase che suoni bene per fare le citazioni su Facebook!”. O forse è la mia opinione traviata che oggi si pensi così, poi guardo a Baricco e dico, ah no. Signor Ishiguro, lei è un vero gentleman ed io la rispetto.

Quel che resta del giorno è la suntuosa rievocazione di un mondo che non c’è più, un mondo di eleganza e di dedizione, di grandi case e grandi ricevimenti. Un po’ come una puntata di Downton Abbey, per chi sa di cosa sto parlando. Siamo in Inghilterra, dopo la seconda guerra mondiale. Mr Stevens è da molti anni il maggiordomo di Darlington Hall, un tempo dimora di Lord Darlington, manovratore della politica europea fra le due guerre, ed ora finita nelle mani di un ricco americano.
Mr Stevens ha visto molto poco del mondo. Tutta la sua vita non è stata che servizio, consacrazione a un ideale in cui crede fermamente, e cioè la sua missione di maggiordomo. Perché essere maggiordomo è a tutti gli effetti una missione, ma soprattutto è uno stile di vita, che significa portare lealtà giorno dopo giorno al proprio datore di lavoro, votarsi allo splendore della dimora di cui si è custodi, fare di tutto (nel nostro piccolo) per far girare quella ruota molto oliata che è la Storia. È così, si può essere servitori della Storia, si può essere manovratori di grandi eventi anche solo tenendo puliti i candelabri. Ma un vero maggiordomo, un grande maggiordomo, sa anche che il suo essere maggiordomo non è soltanto il suo costume. Non può concedersi delle falle, mai il privato può fare capolino nel suo pubblico. Quindi, che si tratti di piangere la morte di un padre, che si tratti di inseguire l’amore della vita, un maggiordomo deve sempre ricordare il senso della propria missione. In questo senso, nel conflitto tra pubblico e privato vince sicuramente il pubblico. E questo è il motivo, secondo me, per cui questo libro può iscriversi nel genere della tragedia.

Ma arriva un momento nella vita di ciascuno (e per qualcuno questo momento è tutti i giorni) in cui si comincia a ripensare alla propria vita, al passato, a quei crocicchi, a quegli incroci che il destino sembra aver disposto casualmente, e noi abbiamo imboccato una strada anziché un’altra. Questo momento arriva anche per Mr Stevens, in occasione di un viaggio in auto di qualche giorno. Un viaggio che non ha mai fatto prima e che lo porterà non solo a scoprire luoghi inaspettati, ma soprattutto regioni inaspettate del sé e che lo costringerà a riconsiderare una buona parte del percorso fatto.
Il viaggio di Mr Stevens ha una direzione e questa direzione si chiama Miss Kenton, ex governante di Darlington Hall, che ha lasciato la casa molti anni prima. È soprattutto nei confronti di Miss Kenton che le considerazioni di Mr Stevens si fanno più sofferte, i crocicchi più insidiosi. Perché se è vero che Mr Stevens fa di tutto per farci credere che le sue intenzioni nel far visita a Miss Kenton sono strettamente professionali, noi capiamo invece che c’è molto di personale.

Mr Stevens è un bugiardo coi fiocchi, fa veramente di tutto per ingannarci, per darci a credere che lui è un bravo maggiordomo eccetera eccetera. Riuscirebbe persino a negare di essere un uomo fatto di carne e sangue, se si sentisse messo alle strette. Ma voi capite quando la sua corazza cede, quando sotto tutta quella freddezza, quell’insensibilità, quella professionalità, si vedono dei piccoli graffietti. Ogni tanto gli capita di camminare troppo a lungo davanti a porte chiuse, gli capita di giustificarsi a sproposito, ogni tanto i personaggi del libro si accorgono che sta piangendo, anche se lui – il bastardo – non ci dice mica, mi sentivo triste e piangevo!
Mr Stevens fa di tutto per starci antipatico. Ma noi gli vogliamo sempre più bene.

E così, mentre nel viaggio si snodano le sue memorie, noi capiamo quali sentimenti abbia nutrito in tutti questi anni, quanta repressione abbia messo in atto per mantenere questa faccia dignitosa. È stata una sofferenza? Non lo sappiamo. Ne conosciamo soltanto i risultati, e cioè una vita non vissuta, una vita che poteva essere e non è stata, una vita che non sappiamo più che farci perché non sembrano esserci più incroci, una vita che corre incontro alla sera precipitosa come una marea.
E così alla fine del giorno non restano che memorie un po’ troppo consunte, ma che fanno male ancora. E tuttavia non si può tornare indietro. Le occasioni non colte restano dove sono. Quel che resta è una domanda che fece Miss Kenton tanto tempo fa, “Perché Mr Stevens, perché, perché, perché deve sempre fingere così?” Quel che resta è il ricordo di tanti pomeriggi in cui la luce si affievoliva alle finestre e ogni sagoma stagliata contro il vetro sembrava una figurina e le tazze profumavano di cioccolata calda. Quel che resta è che l’importante è aver capito. Perché a un certo punto si capisce. È per tutti così. Si capisce che, se anche c’è rimasta solo la sera, non è mai troppo tardi per accorgersi di aver sbagliato. E, se non si può tornare indietro, si può applicare quel che s’è imparato a quel che resta.
(less)

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Jan 25, 2011

Tatiana rated it

Shelves: 1001, booker, 2011

Well, this novel definitely adds a whole new meaning to the definition of what a servant's loyalty is. The main character here, the old-school butler Stevens, is dedicated to his master and to his position to the extent which is quite shocking. Literally everything in Stevens' life - his family, the possibility of love, even his identity - is repressed and is secondary to being a good employee, a devoted employee who worships his master and follows him blindly down any path, regardless of how mi...more

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May 31, 2008

Lorraine rated it

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Shelves: essentialformymentalhealth

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Some novels are ostensibly intelligent, but highly unenjoyable. On the other hand, some novels are highly enjoyable but ostensibly unintelligent.

Most "post-modern" (and I use this term with some degree of trepidation, of course) novels are guilty of being too intelligent without providing a modicum of readerly enjoyment. The result is usually something resembling a rather bizzare and esoteric porn movie, which turns no one on but the author himself and/or critics who applau...moreSome novels are ostensibly intelligent, but highly unenjoyable. On the other hand, some novels are highly enjoyable but ostensibly unintelligent.

Most "post-modern" (and I use this term with some degree of trepidation, of course) novels are guilty of being too intelligent without providing a modicum of readerly enjoyment. The result is usually something resembling a rather bizzare and esoteric porn movie, which turns no one on but the author himself and/or critics who applaud such intellectual wankery.

The problem with criticism is that its very existence relies on the "hidden depths" of a novel or poem. As such, as the industry gets more divorced from the texts it is reading and more entangled with the actual novelty of the ideas that the critic is pulling out of the book, texts become increasingly difficult and complex. Given that critics have the institutional authority to "correctly" judge a book it is no wonder that the writer who wants artistic recognition often gets too obtuse and narcisstic in producing something completely absurd. The critic, however, is not in the best of positions either. The dialectical nature of the relationship between the two industries ensures that critics, regardless of whether they like the intellectual wankery or think it's successful, can never get away with plain slagging off one of these pieces. The best a critic can hope to do with one of these books is to recognise the complicated strategies of the author in achieving X and Y aims, and argue that s/he ultimately fails because s/he is too annoying for his/her readership: this entails of course an admittance that the author has put X and Y strategies to produce Z, and one is never given the full satisfaction of saying "it's just shit".

The long-winded point of all this is, this book is one of the rare books I've read that seems to be as enjoyable as it is intelligent. It is readable in a way even the best modernist texts (which to me, ARE enjoyable, but often more intelligent than enjoyable, I have to say, eg Joyce) are not. I can easily say this is one of the cleverest books I've read, and one of the most enjoyable... there is no need for me to try to defend its obtuseness while explicating on its textual strategies, or something ridiculous like that.

SPOILER:
I am not sure, however, that the ending is wholly optimistic, as this guy: http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/CURRIC/...
might suggest. It seems to me that this text, perhaps because of the narrator's historical position, has much of the tone of "these fragments shored against my ruins". But the irony (let us recall this was written in 1989) prevents me from wholly seeing it that way.

The last part of the novel talks about the willingness to learn "bantering". The irony of the tale seems to be that Stevens has failed in this precisely because the restraint peculiar to his (extremely English) character prevents him from ever doing so. He envies the warmth in the modern generation, but he cannot achieve this unless he opens himself up emotionally. To banter, then, requires this, and not an almost studious "committment" (in his words) to learn the skills of bantering. As long as Stevens retains his emotional distance from everyone in his life, under the strict rubric of professionalism he so religiously adheres to, he'd never be able to achieve the end-result of bantering. Even if he learns the appropriate things to say, that critical distance (of wanting to have the right "propriety" towards others) ensures that he would always be emotionally distanced from others, forever looking in on the crowd from a distance, and scrutinising them in order to give the right response to make them feel at ease. The warmth might very well be genuine on the other side, but as long as Stevens retains this academic attitude towards bantering, the best he can feel is a professional satisfaction akin to the kind he felt when he proved his ability to go on working while his father was dying in the very same house.

As such, it seems to me that the novel might be saying something about human character in general. Stevens is an unfortunate product of his time and class -- it seems to imply we can never quite escape these constraints. His mini-epiphany is coloured, or disturbed, by the irony at the end of the novel. His whole narrative is only too aware of the fictionality of his own narration, and the narrator's power to censor or bias the narrative, not only to the reader but to himself. The habit of restraint is, then, too strong... Stevens cannot seem to break out of it.

It is also a harsh critique of old-skool Englishness at the most fundamental level, and a harsher critique of modernity at another. While the text allows us to feel enough distance between Stevens and ourselves, in that we feel he's too unemotional, too restrained, there is enough in Stevens that is like us today which allows us to sympathise, or even empathise with him to a certain extent (this creates a rather Joycean effect as far as irony is concerned). How many times have we heard the advice -- well intentioned no doubt -- to carry on in spite or despite of our feelings, because we have to? This particularly applies to jobs... the world is no longer tiny, but rather, industrialism and connectivity has made us have a sense of proportion, and distanced as much as it connects. One's sorrows become insignificant in the face of the vastness of the world, one's private trials are precisely just that, and the machine rumbles on without stopping for you no matter how you feel. You can either continue or take a day off, but what is certain is that the machine does go on working without you, that all your trials are very insularly your own. Stevens takes this to the extreme, where all his natural feeling is sacrificed to his professionalism. Of course we are not like him in that we have family and friends, and some of us have lovers, all of whom care, and whom we are close to, but it is silly to deny we do not face the same pressures that he puts on himself (one might say his pride is the kind of pride one would feel if we could carry on working if struck by some traumatic event... professional pride.)

But it is this peculiar mix of the empathetic and the alien that Stevens represents that makes him the ideal mirror for ourselves. We find that which is admirable doubly so, and that which is pitable similarly intensified. As such Stevens serves as the warning to us not to become too extreme in rushing at the breakneck pace that society asks us to do. It is tempting, but the human cost is, perhaps, a bit too much.(less)

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May 19, 2008

Trevor rated it

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Shelves: literature

This is a book, at least in part, about the reliability of memory – and so, in keeping with that theme, I’m going to start by talking about what I remember of the film.

God knows when I saw this film – I assume I would have been still married and I think I might have even gone to see it with the estranged wife when it first came out, but it is hard to say now. I see the film was made in 1993 – so, if I saw it at the cinema when it first came out that would have been 15 years ago.
...more

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Aug 08, 2007

Jenny rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who can hang in there for 50 pages of bore

Shelves: fiction, historical_fiction

Wow. After about 50 pages of what I first took to be boring nonsense, this book turned out to be a beautifully sad, poignantly impassive novel that I enjoyed very much. Although there is little, indeed, almost no, action in the novel, it somehow transports you to a place where you, and the protagonist butler Stevens, realize that you can't live in the past, and that no matter the mistakes of yesterday, you should still look before you, and enjoy what remains of your day.

I hate spoil...more

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Oct 10, 2009

K.D. rated it

Before I started reading this book, I thought that it would be boring as the writer is British and it was about a butler in an England county sometime in between 1940-1956. However, I need to have a break from reading THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Edward Gibbons. The names of the many emperors in their different eras are starting to confused me.

I was wrong. I started reading this book on a Friday morning while waiting for my daughter to join me in the car and I finished th...moreBefore I started reading this book, I thought that it would be boring as the writer is British and it was about a butler in an England county sometime in between 1940-1956. However, I need to have a break from reading THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Edward Gibbons. The names of the many emperors in their different eras are starting to confused me.

I was wrong. I started reading this book on a Friday morning while waiting for my daughter to join me in the car and I finished the whole 200+ pages in a little more than 24 hrs. I could not put it down. The narrative is compulsively moving and the English is clear and simple (unlike the narrative of another Booker winner, A.S.Byatt's POSSESSION which I read last month).

The character of Stevens, the butler, is nothing but respectable and endearing. This is a good book to emphasize the value of work and loyalty. Stevens values his work that much, so much that he did not even think of marrying (because butlers cannot have a family). I also like the way he idolizes his father who was also once a butler and died as a butler. That death scene was just harrowing. The butler-father, 79 y/o had a heart attack while pushing a cart full of wine and his butler-son could not attend to him because he had visitors to entertain.

The story is also about growing old. I like the phrase uttered by another aging butler towards the end of the book: "You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it. That's how I look at it. Ask anybody, they'll tell you. The evening's the best part of the day." How about that for people looking forward to their retirements? BTW, that where the title REMAINS OF THE DAY came from. It refers to what is left of the day - the evening.

The trip to the countryside shows the character of Stevens in detail. It is like the trip of THE LITTLE PRINCE (still by far my favorite novel) to the many planets.

More and more of the 501 MUST READ BOOKS are turning out great! I am grateful to Tata J for lending this reference to me. So far, I've read 46 of them already and I only got disappointed twice: THE SATANIC VERSES and THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. However, someday I will read them again and hope to get a different perspective as I grow old and gray and try to enjoy them in my remains of the day.(less)

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Jan 20, 2009

Endah rated it

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The Remains of The Day adalah novel karya Kazuo Ishiguro yang berhasil memenangi penghargaan Booker Prize (1989), salah satu ajang penghargaan paling bergengsi untuk buku-buku sastra (fiksi) yang ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris. Kazuo memang keturunan Jepang. Ia lahir di Nagasaki, Jepang, pada 1954, tetapi sejak usia lima tahun, bersama orang tuanya ia pindah dan kemudian menetap di Inggris. Telah enam novel ia tulis sepanjang kariernya. Terakhir berjudul Never Let Me Go (2005) yang menjadi runner ...moreThe Remains of The Day adalah novel karya Kazuo Ishiguro yang berhasil memenangi penghargaan Booker Prize (1989), salah satu ajang penghargaan paling bergengsi untuk buku-buku sastra (fiksi) yang ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris. Kazuo memang keturunan Jepang. Ia lahir di Nagasaki, Jepang, pada 1954, tetapi sejak usia lima tahun, bersama orang tuanya ia pindah dan kemudian menetap di Inggris. Telah enam novel ia tulis sepanjang kariernya. Terakhir berjudul Never Let Me Go (2005) yang menjadi runner up Man Booker Prize.

The Remains of The Day adalah novel ‘gelap’ yang bercerita tentang kehidupan–tepatnya kondisi psikologi–seorang kepala pelayan Inggris. Ia, kepala pelayan itu, dipanggil dengan nama Mr.Stevens (Ini nama keluarga sebetulnya. Nama kecilnya tak pernah disebut satu kalipun). Jabatan atau profesi kepala pelayan hanya ada di rumah tangga-rumah tangga kalangan ningrat Inggris tempo doeloe.

Mr. Stevens kita ini mengabdikan hampir seluruh hidupnya sebagai pelayan di Darlington Hall, sebuah kediaman mewah milik bangsawan Lord Darlington semasa perang dunia II sebelum akhirnya beralih ke tangan seorang berkebangsaan Amerika, Mr. Farraday.

Selama 30 tahun, Stevens menjalani profesinya dengan penuh kebanggaan, tanggungjawab, dan profresionalisme yang tinggi. Teladan terbaik baginya adalah sang ayah sendiri, mantan seorang kepala pelayan yang “bermartabat”.

Stevens kita demikian terobsesinya sehingga tanpa disadarinya ia kerap kali berlaku ‘kejam’ pada dirinya sendiri dan orang-orang di sekitarnya demi meraih impian sebagai kepala pelayan yang “bermartabat” itu. Sikapnya senantiasa formal, kaku, terlalu serius. Ia mengabaikan segala urusan pribadinya. Bagi Stevens, yang terpenting dan utama adalah tugas melayani majikannya. Stevens bahkan harus menanggalkan kesedihannya ketika ayahnya meninggal saat ia tengah melaksanakan sebuah tugas penting melayani jamuan makan malam bertaraf internasional di Darlington Hall.

Sikapnya yang terkesan kejam dan tak berperasaan itu sering membuat Miss Kenton, rekan kerjanya, merasa geregetan dan penasaran. Sebagai sesama pelayan, Miss Kenton kelihatan jauh lebih ‘manusiawi’. Tidak seperti Stevens kita, Miss Kenton masih sanggup bergurau dan menjalani hidup secara ‘normal’. Diam-diam, sesungguhnya ia memendam perasaan cintanya kepada Stevens. Namun, karena sifat tertutup Stevens yang ekstrem, kasih itu tak pernah sampai.

Kisahnya dipaparkan secara kilas balik oleh Stevens kita sebagai penuturnya. Ia membawa kita menelusuri seluk-beluk keluarga ningrat Inggris pada era 1920-an, masa 30 tahun ke belakang dari saat ia berkisah. Lantaran narasi dituturkan oleh orang pertama, maka kita bisa mengetahui secara mendalam kondisi batin dan psikologi Stevens selaku seorang butler. Melihat kedalamannya, novel ini tentulah hasil sebuah riset dan observasi yang cermat. Konon, dalam versi aslinya (Inggris), lebih terasa lagi kedalamannya dari bahasa Inggris ningrat–kalau dalam bahasa Jawa mungkin kromo inggilnya–yang dipergunakan Stevens.

Tentulah Stevens merupakan tokoh sentral novel ini. Karakternya yang unik mutlak menjadi ruh bagi keseluruhan cerita. Barangkali temponya tergolong lambat, akan tetapi ia memikat kita justru dengan ketidaktergesa-gesaannya itu. Stevens menguraikan masa-masa jayanya dengan sabar dan penuh percaya diri bahwa kisahnya yang memikat ini pasti akan dibaca tuntas.

Seandainya kita membaca novel ini tanpa lebih dulu mengetahui nama penulisnya, bukan mustahil jika kita mengira buku ini ditulis oleh orang Inggris asli dengan pengetahuan luas dan mendalam ihwal seorang butler.

Novel yang anggun (dan sopan), kendati agak sedikit kelam. Tak heran jika lalu menjadi buku laris dan dibaca banyak orang di seluruh dunia. Dalam versi Inggrisnya, terjual lebih dari sejuta eksemplar dan telah pula diterjemahkan ke dalam tiga puluh bahasa. Membacanya akan lebih asyik lagi apabila kita telah menonton filmnya, sebab bisa sembari membayangkan akting keren Sir Anthony Hopkins serta Emma Thompson sebagai Mr. Stevens dan Miss Kenton.
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May 06, 2008

Amang Suramang rated it

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Recommends it for: Indra Krishnamurti

Recommended to Amang by: Patty

Shelves: indonesian, world-literature

Kalau mau belajar tentang kesalahan dalam hidup, baca deh novel ini. Inti novel ini adalah sebuah "penyesalan": tentang seorang kepala pelayan keluarga ningrat, bernama Stevens, yang memberikan kepercayaan dan totalitas hidupnya pada Tuan Darlington dan berujung fatal. Lagi, dalam komitmennya mencapai keprofesionalan sebagai kepala pelayan, Stevens tidak mengejar cintanya pada seseorang yang telah membuat hidupnya lebih utuh dan dicintai. Sikap resmi yang membalut dirinya membuat Steve...moreKalau mau belajar tentang kesalahan dalam hidup, baca deh novel ini. Inti novel ini adalah sebuah "penyesalan": tentang seorang kepala pelayan keluarga ningrat, bernama Stevens, yang memberikan kepercayaan dan totalitas hidupnya pada Tuan Darlington dan berujung fatal. Lagi, dalam komitmennya mencapai keprofesionalan sebagai kepala pelayan, Stevens tidak mengejar cintanya pada seseorang yang telah membuat hidupnya lebih utuh dan dicintai. Sikap resmi yang membalut dirinya membuat Stevens membatasi dirinya pada keintiman, kebersamaan, dan pengertian.

Tensi dalam novel ini -- dalam versi bahasa Inggrisnya amat terasa tetapi sayangnya versi terjemahannya kurang terasa -- makin lama kita sebagai pembaca dibawa ke situasi dimana Stevens semakin terpuruk dalam penyesalan setiap kali mengenang nostalgia hidupnya. Terutama saat dia tahu bahwa seseorang itu sangat yakin bahwa hidupnya akan jauh lebih baik bila ia menikah dengan Stevens.

Novel ini ditulis oleh penulis Kazuo Ishiguro dengan teknik narasi orang pertama (klasik banget nggak sih?). Hehehe.

**** spoiler alert ****

Plotnya bercerita tentang Stevens, seorang kepala pelayan yang memutuskan untuk melakukan perjalanan keluar kota selama 6 hari meninggalkan Darlington Hall, rumah yang sudah diabdinya selama 34 tahun. Dulunya rumah itu milik Tuan Darlington, tetapi sejak kematiannya rumah itu dibeli oleh bangsawan Amerika bernama Tuan Farraday. Meskipun Stevens suka tuan barunya ini, tetapi Stevens tidak bisa bergaul baik dengannya hanya gara-gara dia tidak bisa melucu karena terlalu serius.

Tujuan perjalanan Stevens adalah menemui Non Kenton, mantan pembantu di Darlington Hall yang telah memutuskan meninggalkan tempat itu 20 tahun lalu untuk menikah. Stevens berpikir pada saat ia menerima surat dari Non Kenton, ia bisa datang ke sana untuk mengajaknya kembali bekerja hanya karena berpikir (bukan merasa ya) di surat itu secara intrinsik perkawinan Non Kenton/Ny. Ben sudah berakhir dan dia mau jadi pembantu lagi.

Selama narasi yang kebanyakan berisi kenangan Stevens atas hasil kerjanya sebelum dan sesudah PD II, kita diajak untuk melihat bagaimana persisnya sebuah pesta diadakan secara besar dan mewah, serta membayangkan siapa saja yang pernah makan dan tinggal di sana. Hingga lama-lama kita tahu bahwa Tuan Darlington disalahgunakan oleh Jerman di bawah Hitler. Tapi Stevens seperti orang yang ditutup matanya tak bergeming atas kejadian yang akhirnya mencemarkan nama Tuan Darlington.

Selama perjalanan itu juga terjadi kilasan kenangan Stevens dengan sesama kepala pelayan profesional dan yang terutama terungkap cinta terpendam (yang sengaja dibiarkan oleh Stevens) pada Non Kenton. Yang meskipun dalam cerita digambarkan mereka suka silang kata, padahal di dalam hatinya kita tahu mereka peduli dan sayang satu sama lain.

Dan tragisnya, sampai akhirnya Stevens bertemu dengan Non Kenton, ia tetap tidak bisa menyampaikan rasa sukanya itu... padahal Non Kenton sudah jelas-jelas menyatakan bahwa hidupnya akan jauh lebih baik bila ia menikah dengan Stevens daripada dengan Tuan Ben.

Saya agak terbata-bata saat membaca versi terjemahan ini karena terkesan lambat dan membosankan, serta ada beberapa kosa kata yang tidak mudah dipahami dan akhirnya memutuskan untuk membaca versi aslinya baru kemudian versi terjemahannya dan barulah mengerti duduk persoalannya: mungkin karena kekakuan narasi Stevens membuat terjemahannya pun terasa dingin dan kaku sehingga lambat dan membosankan. Sesuatu yang sedikit mengganjal saja rupanya. Bukan masalah besar.(less)

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Aug 30, 2007

Kristina rated it

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This lovely novel is short but not slight. Ishiguru's style is impeccable, delicate, and precise. He perfectly captures the voice of an unreliable narrator who would really rather not tell you anything at all. I adore the way Stevens talks around every topic, circling around it with apparent confusion before admitting -- even as he continues to deny it -- what he really feels about something.

One of my favorite things about the novel is how excruciating Stevens's inability to communic...more

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Jan 04, 2009

Kressel Housman rated it

Shelves: classics, fiction

When I was in college learning about Sartre's existentialism, the example to illustrate the plight of modern man was a waiter. He dresses in uniform and performs his duties for the people he is serving without relating to them in any personal sort of way. He's playing a role, treating himself like an object and not as a human being with independent thoughts and feelings. This book is that example in novelized form, except that the main character is an old-style English butler, not a waiter. And ...more

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Nov 21, 2008

Andrea Carolina rated it

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Recommends it for: mi tia Martha, mi tio Jairo, Jonathan Delmar, a gente muy indeseada

Recommended to Andrea Carolina by: otro libro que no recuerdo

Shelves: biblioteca-mia, 2008

He de decir que cada vez me gustan más los libros de Kazuo Ishiguro, son tan diferentes a todo lo que he leído… me llevan a un mundo apacible, tranquilo, melancólico pero no desesperante. Los libros de Ishiguro son estéticos, llenos de belleza, de detalles de contextos y culturas, y detalles históricos también. Sus historias son simples, historias de hombres honorables, de hombres que sacrifican, y hombres satisfechos. Cuando leo un libro de algún autor por primera vez, hay dos opciones o sigo l...moreHe de decir que cada vez me gustan más los libros de Kazuo Ishiguro, son tan diferentes a todo lo que he leído… me llevan a un mundo apacible, tranquilo, melancólico pero no desesperante. Los libros de Ishiguro son estéticos, llenos de belleza, de detalles de contextos y culturas, y detalles históricos también. Sus historias son simples, historias de hombres honorables, de hombres que sacrifican, y hombres satisfechos. Cuando leo un libro de algún autor por primera vez, hay dos opciones o sigo leyendo libros de él o no leo mas, y cuando continuo leyendo libros de un mismo autor, termino por leerme al menos cinco y con Ishiguro quiero leérmelos todos. Los libros de Ishiguro no perturban el alma, te hacen sentir lo suficiente para que las historias no se conviertan en un melodrama sino en historias de hombres con vidas sencillas y que merecen leerse. Me gustaría ser uno de los personajes de Ishiguro, tan contenidos, tan claros, personajes que saben donde tienen puesta su mirada y no la quitan de allí.
Me parece que no puedo juzgar al personaje de este libro, parece que todo lo hizo perfectamente bien porque lo hizo porque quería, así a muchos les parezca que hasta el amor sacrificó y que por eso su vida haya sido miserable, posiblemente sea este un personaje muy descriptivo de lo que son muchos hombres, del género masculino me refiero, hombres que dan la vida entero por sus sueños y ambiciones profesionales, académicas o artística, por hacer el mejor trabajo posible. Hace poco tuve una discusión con alguien sobre este tema, este tipo de hombres, todavía me cuesta entender a los hombres así, pero quizá con este libro me di cuenta que no es que no esté ahí el deseo o el anhelo del amor romántico, solo es un anhelo sublimado en otros sentidos y como dicen por ahí “la procesión la llevan por dentro”. Y siempre están las mujeres que están detrás de estos hombres que no dan su brazo a torcer y son las que más tienen que perder, pero es que los hombres que están dispuestos a sacrificar el amor romántico en sus vidas por otros objetivos, son hombres muy admirables y atrayentes, y fijarse en un hombre así es peligroso puede ser la perdición para una mujer.
Al contrario de lo que pueda decir la reseña del costado del libro no me parece tan amarga y cruel la historia, no mucho mas de otras historias realmente amargas y crueles que he leído, hay que ver lo que realmente es amargura y crueldad no? (amargo y cruel Nieve de Pamuck, eso si es una tristeza todo el tiempo dios mío!) Y tampoco me parece que haya duda alguna en cuanto al concepto de dignidad, dignidad por parte de los dos personajes miss Kenton y míster Stevens, en resumidas cuentas se puede decir que eso es dignidad: vivir una vida según los propósitos que se tengan y ser consecuente con lo que se vive y se vivió. Uno quiere muchas cosas en la vida, pero al final siempre hay que escoger algo entre las muchas posibilidades que nos presente la vida y uno siempre escoge lo que quiere, decir que otras posibilidades hubiesen sido mejores, eso es muy debatible, porque hasta no haberlas vivido no se sabrá, y como no podemos vivir todo lo que quisiéramos o como no podemos tomar todos los caminos posibles en la vida nunca podremos saber que habrá sido mejor.
¿Amores no confesados? No lo creo, el amor se puede confesar de tantas formas. Esta no es la historia de un amor que no se vivió, es la historia de la decisión de un hombre y una mujer que decidieron sus vidas muy conscientemente. Yo creo que voy dejando de creer en los amores no confesados, creo que al final uno lo dice todo así no sea con las palabras directas y como siempre son las mujeres las que hacen todos los intentos posibles hasta el final para vivir el amor que quieren, pero si el otro no lo permite no hay nada más que hacer. No, no hay que decir “te amo”. “te quiero” y todo eso, lo mismo de siempre, para saberlo, y ese es el encanto de Ishiguro, que es sutil, es prudente, delicado, es sensato, si muy sensato en su historia, sus diálogos, sus personajes, sin que por eso estos pasen por hipócritas, poco reales, verdaderos o creíbles , sin que dejen de ser auténticos y valerosos . La hipocresía es otra cosa pero no estos personajes, una cosa es no expresar directamente lo que se siente y otra cosa es la hipocresía.
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Feb 10, 2008

jen rated it

I loved Never Let Me Go, which is what led me to pick up Remains of the Day. I found ROTD to be as powerful a read as NLMG, and actually thought ROTD was a superior example of Ishiguro's storytelling ability. He has clearly mastered subtlety, and it is put to use excellently in this tale of a butler who has devoted both his external and internal life to his profession, at the expense, perhaps, of everything else.

Ishiguro's description of Stevens (the butler and narrator of the nov...more

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May 06, 2008

Amang Suramang rated it

Recommended to Amang by: Patty

Shelves: world-literature

If you want to read a false example of life, read this novel. It is a story about "regret": throughout his life, Stevens puts his absolute trust and devotion in a man named Lord Darlington who makes drastic mistakes. Also, in the totality of his professional commitment as a professional butler, Stevens fails to pursue the one woman with whom he could have had a fulfilling and loving relationship. His formality cuts him off from intimacy, companionship, and understanding. I learn my les...moreIf you want to read a false example of life, read this novel. It is a story about "regret": throughout his life, Stevens puts his absolute trust and devotion in a man named Lord Darlington who makes drastic mistakes. Also, in the totality of his professional commitment as a professional butler, Stevens fails to pursue the one woman with whom he could have had a fulfilling and loving relationship. His formality cuts him off from intimacy, companionship, and understanding. I learn my lesson enough by reading this novel.

***** spoiler alert ******

This novel which written by Japanese-English writer Kazuo Ishiguro is told in the first-person narration of an English butler named Stevens who decides to take a six- day road trip to the West Country of England. He leaves Darlington Hall, the house in which Stevens resides and has worked as a butler for 34 years. Though the house was previously owned by the now-deceased Lord Darlington, by 1956, it has come under the ownership of Mr. Farraday, an American gentleman. Stevens likes Mr. Farraday, but fails to interact well with him. Stevens fails to make a comfortable joke... a simple task for every one, but not to Stevens.

The purpose of his road trip is to visit Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall who left twenty years earlier to get married. Stevens has received a letter from Miss Kenton, and believes that her letter hints that her marriage is failing and that she might like to return to her post as housekeeper. Ever since World War II has ended, it has been difficult to find enough people to staff large manor houses such as Darlington Hall.

The narration mostly consist of Stevens's memories of his work as a butler during and just after World War II. He describes the large, elaborate dinner parties and elegant, prominent personages who come to dine and stay at Darlington Hall in those times. It is gradually revealed—largely through other characters' interactions with Stevens, rather than his own admissions—that Lord Darlington, due to his mistaken impression of the German agenda prior to World War II, sympathized with the Nazis. Darlington even arranged and hosted dinner parties between the German and British heads of state to help both sides come to a peaceful understanding. Stevens always maintains that Lord Darlington was a perfect gentleman, and that it is a shame his reputation has been soiled simply because he misunderstood the Nazis' true aims.

During the trip Stevens also recounts stories of his contemporaries—butlers in other houses with whom he struck up friendships. Stevens's most notable relationship by far, however, is his long-term working relationship with Miss Kenton. Though Stevens never says so outright, it appears that he harbors repressed romantic feelings for Miss Kenton. Despite the fact that the two frequently disagree over various household affairs when they work together, the disagreements are childish in nature and mainly serve to illustrate the fact that the two care for each other.

At the end of the novel, Miss Kenton admits to Stevens that her life may have turned out better if she had married him. After hearing these words, Stevens is extremely upset. However, he does not tell Miss Kenton how he feels.

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Jun 23, 2007

Trevor rated it

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One of my favorites. Ishiguro's writing is so subtle. Somehow he can get us to feel and understand so much from a narrator who says so little and who avoids acknowledging his feelings.
Stephens is one of my favorite characters in all of literature despite the fact that he is only a butler of a great house. He holds so much emotion even though he won't let it out, as is shown when he carries on his duties despite the decline of his father whom he regards as the perfect example of a butler...more

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Jun 28, 2011

Lija Harper rated it

Recommended to Lija by: Francois Declercq

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is not one of those books that pulls you in after the first few pages, and even after the first few chapters when you finally get drawn in by it, it is not one that I found particularly hard to put down. Despite this it is still worth reading.

The Remains of the day is a first person narration of a English butler named Stevens. The book tells of his quest to be the perfect butler and as he travels from large country house to large country house h...more

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Dec 25, 2008

Lea rated it

This is the story of a road trip. Stevens, and aging butler, has been given his employer's car to explore the south of England for several days. He is a rigid man, wedded to the class system, and his place in it as the concientious butler. He tragically misses the fact that the housekeeper loves him, and as the road trip unfolds for him, so,too, do the memories of his life, and the realisation that perhaps, in many things, he has been mistaken. He is idealistic and naive, and at first I thought ...more

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Nov 24, 2011

Alibiserver rated it

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There comes, once in a while, a book that leaves a dent in our minds. Of course, with the myriad of choice reads these days, a lot of books catch our fancy, some may occupy us once in a while, and others may affect us profoundly, but rare will a book leave a dent to you. There is a slight different between leaving a dent and affecting in that being affected may be a quality that’s too ephemeral and leaving a dent may give one a 360 in whatever aspect of their life. The Remains of the Day is one ...moreThere comes, once in a while, a book that leaves a dent in our minds. Of course, with the myriad of choice reads these days, a lot of books catch our fancy, some may occupy us once in a while, and others may affect us profoundly, but rare will a book leave a dent to you. There is a slight different between leaving a dent and affecting in that being affected may be a quality that’s too ephemeral and leaving a dent may give one a 360 in whatever aspect of their life. The Remains of the Day is one such book.

It is astonishing to think that the writer was no insular Briton. Immigrant writers are, often than not, more compelled to write more of their own experience in their adopted countries rather than putting themselves at an imagined state of being the native himself. In his earlier novels, Kazuo Ishiguro too wrote novels that tread in that path. One can cite “A Pale View of Hills” and “An Artist of the Floating World.” In a general sense, minority communities are usually lumped close together, and collective thoughts are bound to gain recognition to their adopted country through the arts. While immigrant writing can be a form of collecting what is shared experience between newcomers in a foreign land, the subject of being in-between two cultures and the resultant “trying to fit in” aspect which is quite universal in most works can somewhat lead to predictable and otherwise unexciting reading.

What poses as a challenge to immigrant writers is how to put oneself in the mind of the insular. Not only must the writer be adept to the mores and customs of his compatriots, he must also paint this believable air in his work. More of a challenge it would be if the writing was set at a different time period for it requires pulling up a lot of skill and familiarity. Thus, it is no wonder why we shouldn’t be amazed; a medium-sized book of this calibre can be a chore if looked the other way around.

It tells the story of an aging butler, Mr. Stevens, and his life in the service of the Darlington House during the mid-twenties up till the fifties. The memories pop out every now and then while Mr. Stevens takes up his motoring trip to the countryside, meeting people along the way, going through inns, engaging in conversations, and enjoying the sights. What prompted this trip was partly an effort by his new employer Mr. Farraday and the letter sent to him by Mrs. Benn (nee Kenton) whom he formerly worked with in the house. The letter tells him of her unhappiness with married life. Throughout the novel, we question Stevens’s undying loyalty for his former employer yet hint at the apparent dislike of ever mentioning his failings.

Central to the story is the treatment of language in the novel. Ishiguro treats it with wit, with the care and delicacy that is so rarely seen in most modern British novels. He writes without crass, and puts Stevens and the characters in person to whatever they are as people. This treatment of language also makes us wonder how Stevens would react to simple conversations, especially on banter and witticism. It is also language that limits Stevens’s character and stature but moulded in such a way that instead of being bored at flouting his ideals of loyalty and dignity, we are presented with a protagonist that screams release.

I cannot truly say that the novel is anti-war; there are anti-war novels presented in the warzones that would put that strong notion that it is indeed anti-war. It is not a love story as well; the novel does not contain the strongest of those feelings and whatever Ms. Kenton might have felt for Mr. Stevens would’ve been that of the professional sense. However, the novel though most strikes as an effective character study of servants during this period. Servants who uphold the most stringent of service to their employers are regarded as the best in the field no matter how misguided their loyalty may be, leaving behind their feelings, opinions, and inner persons. You question Stevens’s unfeeling when his father passed away, question his position in Darlington’s house and the meetings that come and go, and question if his service was indeed contributory to his well-being.

There are of course imperfections but by no means harmful to me giving a perfect five for this novel, one of which was the motoring-reminiscing plot, which is often used in most plotlines. The writing is balanced and so are the other elements. I hope Ishiguro could again write a treat as tasty as this.
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Aug 07, 2010

marie rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The novel is written in the first person by Stevens, a butler of one of England's great houses. He is now aging, and as he embarks on a trip to visit a woman who could have been his wife he looks back on his life: one where the stiff upper lip and repression of all feeling (indeed all personal life) was foremost if such life was to conform to his idea of what a great butler should be.

Stevens was driven to be the consummate butler in the tradition of his own father. At Darlington Hou...more

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Apr 04, 2011

ayanapunya rated it

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Novel ini bercerita tentang James Stevens, seorang kepala pelayan di Darlington Hall yang melakukan perjalanan untuk menemui Miss Kenton, seorang staff-nya di Darlington Hall beberapa tahun yang lalu. Perjalanan ini dilakukan karena ia menerima surat dari Miss Kenton yang seolah-olah menggambarkan kalau dirinya tak bahagia dengan pernikahannya dan ingin kembali ke Darlington Hall. Dan berhubung saat ini Steven merasa memerlukan tambahan staf untuk tim barunya di Darlington Hal, maka tidak ada sa...more

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Dec 26, 2011

Brian rated it

Shelves: fiction, 2011

Stevens, the narrator, is an aging butler writing to an unknown audience in the mid ‘50s in England. He is a man who only possesses his work and doesn’t consider a life outside of being a butler and thoughts of improvement in his vocation are constantly on his mind. The occasion for his writing is the potential return of Miss Kenton, who he worked with some several decades previous.

Instead of having an emotional core (a core that is built around emotions, that is) this is a book that...more

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Mar 17, 2009

Tyler rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone

One would think a novel in the form of a memoir of a British butler might run a bit flat. But with this book I could tell on page one it was going to be good. Not since Old Goriot have I had such an immediate sense for the story. The flow of the book confirmed my serendipitous sign. In this precise British novel by an author with a decidedly un-British name, thirty or forty pages at a time effortlessly pass by. The drama, the introspection, the plot trajectory – all unfold skillfully, and the e...more

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Mar 21, 2009

Carol rated it

In the early 1950's, an aging English butler, Stevens, who has served nobility and political figures in Darlington Hall is now trying to serve the new American owner of the house. Stevens takes great pride in his profession, his competence, his loyalty, and, above all, in his dignity. He is puzzled by the American's occasional jesting remarks, and wonders whether he is expected to exchange "witticisms". He tries, he practices, but doesn't hit the mark. He knows he is aging, regrets his...more

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Jul 09, 2011

dead letter office rated it

I wouldn't have thought a book about an uptight butler motoring around England in the 1950's and reminiscing about his professional life (or any book that spawned a movie featuring Emma Thompson) would be so engaging, but this was really good. Stevens is a great character. Initially his dedication and anachronistic formality are rather winning, but eventually it becomes clear that his careful composure and unremitting professionalism (his "dignity") are the masks he has hidden behind a...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28921.The_Remains_of_the_Day?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327128714m/28921.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28921.The_Remains_of_the_Day?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro[/url]

The Remains of the Day

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