Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Remains of the Day” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author)

4.13 · Rating details · 209,488 ratings · 14,929 reviews

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the countryside and into his past . . .

A contemporary classic, The Remains of the Day is Kazuo Ishiguro's beautiful and haunting evocation of life between the wars in a Great English House, of lost causes and lost love. ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 258 pages

Published April 1st 2010 by Faber & Faber (first published 1989)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Remains of the Day, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Most Interesting Person in the Room by Thomas Vernon

Which Books Exceeded Your Expectations?

174 books — 82 voters

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.13 ·

Rating details

· 209,488 ratings · 14,929 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Remains of the Day

Aug 02, 2017 Adina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mcewan-barnes-coetzee-and-co, british, booker, 1001

Every day, for the past week I've encouraged myself to start writing this review. It feelt impossible to find my words to discuss such a literary masterpiece. Who gives me the right to even try?
After staring blankly at the screen for some time, I finally remembered a beautiful passage that can perfectly describe what I felt about this novel. So, I will let the author describe his work. Although the quote depicts the magnificent English countryside It can be applied to the novel as well.

“What i Every day, for the past week I've encouraged myself to start writing this review. It feelt impossible to find my words to discuss such a literary masterpiece. Who gives me the right to even try?
After staring blankly at the screen for some time, I finally remembered a beautiful passage that can perfectly describe what I felt about this novel. So, I will let the author describe his work. Although the quote depicts the magnificent English countryside It can be applied to the novel as well.

“What is pertinent is the calmness of beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, its own greatness, and feels no need to shout it.”

I believe that a restrained beauty is what characterizes The Remains of the Day and the voice of its main character, Stevens. As it was also the case in Never let me Go, the message is hidden in the beautiful pages, only suggested, it comes to the reader in the form of a knot in the stomach or throat and the feelings linger for many days while one ponders on the meaning of his/her life.

“What can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? The hard reality is, surely, that for the likes of you and I, there is little choice other than to leave our fate, ultimately, in the hands of those great gentlemen at the hub of this world who employ our services. What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough that the likes of you and I at least try to make our small contribution count for something true and worthy. And if some of us are prepared to sacrifice much in life in order to pursue such aspirations, surely that is in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment.”

Williams Stevens is a one of the few remaining “great”, devoted butlers, employed most of his life at Darlington Hall in the service of Lord Darlington. After the war and the death of its owner the manor changes its ownership but the reduced staff remains with the new employer, an American known as Mr. Farraday. When the new owner returns to the States for a few weeks he proposes to Stevens to borrow his car and enjoy a drive in the countryside. Although reluctant at first, the butler decides to take on the offer after he receives a letter from a former housekeeper of the Hall, Miss Kenton to who it seems that he holds some affection. He decides to visit her in order to suggest to return to work at the Hall. The trip becomes the perfect occasion for revisiting the most important moments of Stevens past and to meditate on how his loyalty to his master and his decisions/or lack of, made him lose certain opportunities to have a fulfilled emotional life.

“But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably drive oneself to distraction in this way. In any case, while it is all very well to talk of 'turning points', one can surely only recognize such moments in retrospect. Naturally, when one looks back to such instances today, they may indeed take the appearance of being crucial, precious moments in one's life; but of course, at the time, this was not the impression one had. Rather, it was as though one had available a never-ending number of days, months, years in which to sort out the vagaries of one's relationship with Miss Kenton; an infinite number of further opportunities in which to remedy the effect of this or that misunderstanding. There was surely nothing to indicate at the time that such evidently small incidents would render whole dreams forever irredeemable.”

The language used by the author is beautiful, exquisite. It is the voice of the butler who writes in the restrained, formal manner suitable for his job. The effect is mesmerizing, sometimes comical and other times heartbreaking in Steven’s incapacity to shed his role even for a second and live for himself.

“I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really - one has to ask oneself - what dignity is there in that?”

Beautiful, emotional book that I warmly recommend to everyone. ...more

flag 651 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2010 Esteban del Mal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, fiction

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, the 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 writin ...more

flag 762 likes · Like · see review

Jun 05, 2007 Siria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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

flag 476 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2015 Nataliya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, booker-winners-and-nominees, i-also-saw-the-film, 2015-reads, 2020-reads

“The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.”

I suppose what one really needs at the end of it all, in the twilight of life, is to know that it was worth something, that there was some meaning, some purpose to it. Because if it was all in vain, why even try?

With The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro created a masterpiece, mesmerizing, evocative, subtle, elegant and perfectly crafted, with precise mastery of language, setting and characters. At its heart, it's a story of searching for something irrevocably lost in life, a story of memory and its elusive unreliability. It's beautiful and haunting, with initial rose-tinged glow of nostalgia slowly and subtly morphing into quiet gentle regret, managing to coexist with dry humor and bits of satire. It's a book of uncommon quality, one that's impossible to forget, one that deserves every ounce of praise that's it's been showered with.

What is dignity? What is greatness? How do you define your purpose? These are questions Stevens - a quintessential English butler at the twilight of his life not surprisingly coinciding with the twilight of the British Empire - ponders during his drive through the countryside in the search of an old friend, a former housekeeper who, Stevens thinks, would make a great addition to the dwindled staff of a once-great manor now owned by a rich American after the death of its former aristocratic owner, the Lord in whose employ Stevens had faithfully spent several decades. To Stevens, the answers are initially clear - the purpose and satisfaction, the all-elusive dignity itself lies in the unquestionable loyalty and devotion to the great ones of this world, by association with whom you matter, too. But as the miles roll by, the pull of Darlington Hall seems to lessen and bit by bit, flashback by flashback in a surprisingly formal stream of consciousness the glimpses of the truth begin to appear, and how unsettling they are! Bit by bit, mostly not through what he tells us but instead precisely through what he does not tell we come to see that poor Stevens is perhaps the most unreliable narrator there ever was.

Starting from a formal, stiff but still confident narration at the beginning of Stevens' journey, we end up eventually on a bench on a pier, glimpsing into his very private pain and heartbreak as he contemplates the remains of his life at the titular remains of the day. Bit by bit, through at times reluctant, limited and yet unfailingly honest narration we get to experience the story of a man who put loyalty and faithful service above all, pursuing the coveted dignity, clinging to the well-defined class roles and rigid expectations, denying his own self in attempts to live up to the duty, the quintessential Englishness that already in his time is becoming obsolete.

“However, if a butler is to be of any worth to anything or anybody in life, there must surely come a time when he ceases his searching; a time when he must say to himself: 'This employer embodies all that I find noble and admirable. I will hereafter devote myself to serving him.”

Stevens, the most unreliable narrator, manages to show us so much more precisely through the things that he fails to tell the reader. It's what's left unsaid that paints the real picture - the disappointments, the loss, the lonely empty existence intentionally devoid of love and warmth.

“It is hardly my fault if his lordship's life and work have turned out today to look, at best, a sad waste - and it is quite illogical that I should feel any regret or shame on my own account.”

Stevens in his earnest devotion remains loyal to the memory of Lord Darlington, never fully admitting that the man he had spent his life serving and admiring was in fact not so great. And how can he? After all, he has based his entire self-worth, his entire sense of being on devotedly serving a supposedly great and noble man, feeling that in some little way he, Stevens, had something to do with shaping the fate of the world. Openly admitting that Lord Darlington's made huge mistakes would shatter Stevens' entire self, making everything useless - missing his father's death, going along with bigotry and prejudice, and giving up a chance at love, warmth and human companionship.

And yet, at the end, just for a moment or so the impeccable facade of quintessential English butler cracks and a pained confused man faces the realizations that are too unsettling to avoid:

“The fact is, of course," I said after a while, "I gave my best to Lord Darlington. I gave him the very best I had to give, and now - well - I find I do not have a great deal more left to give.”
---------
“Lord Darlington wasn't a bad man. He wasn't a bad man at all. And at least he had the privilege of being able to say at the end of his life that he made his own mistakes. His lordship was a courageous man. He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at least. As for myself, I cannot even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted in his lordship's wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really - one has to ask oneself - what dignity is there in that?”

The Remains of the Day is a book of loss and love and regret, of things that define us and shape us, about trust and loyalty misplaced and hopes and dreams crushed, of selective memory and carefully constructed in self-defense universes that let us try to be what we aspire to be, and the cold brush with reality that inevitably comes. To borrow Stevens' pained unexpected revelation, “Indeed — why should I not admit it? — in that moment, my heart was breaking.”

“After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished?”

Wonderful. 5 stars. ...more

flag 359 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2007 Kecia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: readers who appreciate subtly

Shelves: topshelf, booker-prize, 1001-books, england

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 he admitted to h ...more

flag 358 likes · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2016 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-lit, 5-star-reads, man-booker-prize-winners

So Ishiguro has won the noble prize for literature 2017. This quote from the yeasterday's guardian article says it all to me:

The British author Kazuo Ishiguro said he was both honoured and “taken completely by surprise” after he was named this year’s winner of the 2017 Nobel prize in literature, even initially wondering if the announcement was a case of “fake news”.

[...]

“Part of me feels like an imposter and part of me feels bad that I’ve got this before other living writers,” said Ishiguro. “Ha ...more

flag 279 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2016 Kevin Ansbro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Kevin by: Glenn Sumi

Shelves: human-emotions, social-awkwardness, morality, quintessentially-english

"When work is a pleasure, life is a joy! When work is a duty, life is slavery."
-Maxim Gorky.

I bought this novel in tandem with Never Let Me Go, a book so tedious that I abandoned it, preferring to watch paint dry.
Nevertheless, I was prepared to give Ishiguro the benefit of the doubt, wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

The story is told from the POV of Mr Stevens, English butler to Mr Farraday, his nouveau riche American master: I invite you to imagine Mr Stevens to be an amalgam of Wodeho ...more

flag 262 likes · Like · see review

Oct 04, 2010 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-book, fiction, literature, historical, 20th-century, classics

190. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro

The "Remains of the Day", is a 1989 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer, Kazuo Ishiguro.

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall, decides to take a motoring trip through the West Country. The six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past of Stevens and England, a past that takes in fascism, two world wars, and an unrealized love between the butler and his housekeeper.

نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ژوئن سال 1997 190. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro

The "Remains of the Day", is a 1989 novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer, Kazuo Ishiguro.

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall, decides to take a motoring trip through the West Country. The six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past of Stevens and England, a past that takes in fascism, two world wars, and an unrealized love between the butler and his housekeeper.

نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و سوم ژوئن سال 1997م

عنوان: بازمانده روز؛ نوشته: کازوئو ایشیگورو؛ مترجم: نجف دریابندری؛ تهران، کارنامه، 1375، در 356ص؛ شابک 9644310020؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان انگلیسی؛ سده 20م

اخطار: اگر هنوز این رمان را نخوانده اید، و میخواهید آن را بخوانید، لطفا توجه داشته باشید که احتمال لو رفتن داستان در نوشتار این فراموشکار هست

جایی دیده بودم: رمان «بازمانده روز»، کلاس شخصیت پردازی مدرن است، شخصیت پردازی هوشمندانه، که همچو پازل هزار تکه، پس از کنار هم گذاشتن تکه ها، همین تابلوی زیبا شده است.؛ «بازمانده ی روز» داستان آقای «استیونز»، سرپیشخدمتی انگلیسی ست، که زندگی خود را وقف خدمت وفادارانه به لرد «دارلینگتون» کرده است.؛

داستان با رسیدن نامه‌ ای از یک همکار پیشین آغاز می‌شود.؛ در آن نامه، خانم «کنتن» از زندگی زناشویی خود می‌گوید، که «استیونز»، آنرا حمل بر نارضایتی او، از ازدواجش می‌کند.؛ همزمان با رسیدن نامه، موقعیتی برای «استیونز» پیش می‌آید؛ که بتواند به بهانه ی پژوهش، درباره ی استخدام مجدد خانم «کنتن»، دوباره برگردد سراغ رابطه‌ ای، که زمانی آن را بسیار دوست می‌داشت.؛ ارباب جدید خانه، آمریکایی ثروتمندی به نام «فارادی»، او را تشویق میکند، که ماشین را بردارد، و برود به مرخصی‌ ای که بی‌شک استحقاقش را دارد.؛ این سفر، فرصتی می‌شود برای «استیونز»، که وفاداری تزلزل‌ ناپذیرش به لرد «دالینگتون»، معنی و مفهوم «تشخص»، و حتی رابطه خودش با پدرش را، مورد بازاندیشی قرار دهد.؛ دست آخر، «استیونز» مجبور می‌شود، که به مفهوم واقعی رابطه‌ ی خود با خانم «کنتن» بیندیشد.؛ هرچه داستان به پیش می‌رود، نشانه‌ های عشق خانم «کنتن» به آقای «استیونز»، و تمایل متقابل او، آشکار می‌شود.؛ در سال‌های پیش از جنگ جهانگیر دوم، زمانی که این دو، دوشادوش هم کار می‌کنند، از اعتراف به عشقشان، نسبت به یکدیگر طفره می‌روند.؛ تمام مکالمه‌ هایی که یاد میآورد، نشان از رابطه‌ ای حرفه‌ ای دارند، که گاهی به مرز عشق و علاقه، نزدیک می‌شوند، اما هرگز از آن عبور نمی‌کنند.؛ بعدها مشخص می‌شود، که خانم «کنتن»، بیست سالی ست، که ازدواج کرده است، و حالا دیگر نه خانم «کنتن»، بلکه خانم «بن» خوانده می‌شود.؛ خانم «بن»، اعتراف می‌کند، که گاهی به این فکر می‌کند، که زندگی با آقای «استیونز»، چگونه می‌توانست باشد؛ اما حالا دیگر شوهرش را دوست میدارد، و در انتظار تولد نخستین نوه‌ ی خویش است.؛ «استیونز» به فرصت‌های از دست‌ رفته می‌اندیشد، هم در رابطه با خانم «کنتن»، و نیز با اربابش لرد «دارلینگتون».؛

در پایان داستان، «استیونز» به آنچه از روز، بازمانده می‌پردازد، که اشاره‌ ای ست، به آینده ی او، در خدمت به آقای «فارادی».؛ «ایشی‌ گورو»، همانند دیگر رمان‌های خویش، در طول داستان از ساختارهای حافظه، و دورنما، سود برده است

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

flag 253 likes · Like · see review

Dec 21, 2015 Perry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: stela-eða-láni, books-most-loved, mina-favoritböcker, credshelf

Firmly in My Top 3 Ever. Overwhelmingly Profound.

Regret came shivering through my veins,
And bound my tongue in iron chains;
My soul in prison seem'd to be,
And ever must if torn from thee.
"The Recall to Affection," Susanna Blamire

Oh, yesterday came suddenly.
"Yesterday," Lennon-McCartney, 1965

It is nearly impossible to describe this novel without alluding to what I believe is the most heartbreaking scene in all literature.

Ishiguro's novel whisks the human memory - its capacity, reliability, fallib ...more

flag 238 likes · Like · see review

Dec 25, 2020 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley, literary-fiction

This is one of the most satisfying, atmospheric and profoundly moving rereads for me, Kazuo Ishiguro's 1989 Booker Prize winner, a perceptive, inspired character study of a retiring butler, Stevens, and through him, the insightful penetration of a turbulent period of British history, detailing a bygone era, its class structures, a changing country losing its empire and way of life. Stevens embodies a rigidity and formality that seems all too absurd in our modern times, obsessive about and puttin ...more

flag 227 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2011 Annet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-pure, have-to-read-again, brilliant, booker-pulitzer-nobel-material, favorite-author, age-ing, very-british, history, beautiful-poetic

Beautiful, beautiful book, wonderful writing, great story. I am now officially a fan of Ishiguro, a book so different from Never let me go, which was also an incredible story to me. This story however is very different but equally high quality, which in my opinion indicates the quality of the writer, able to put down totally different stories, both intriguing in their own way. It is beautiful in language, heartbreaking in storyline, gives a view of life in England in between wars and how politic ...more

flag 203 likes · Like · see review

Dec 24, 2017 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5/5 Stars

Kazuo Ishiguro just won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year and this book supports that achievement. The Remains of the Day is a wonderful book to close my reading year in 2017.

This book was first published in 1989 and since then, there have been countless professional reviews on it that everything I said here—although they are my honest opinion—would most likely be just something similar to any of those reviews. That’s why I’ll keep this brief; The Remains of the Day is a thorou ...more

flag 192 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Fabian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Mood, atmosphere, character. Encapsulation of the zeitgeist, & social commentary; "The Remains of the Day" delves into the dark side of humanity. So much is held within the pages of this marvelous book, the account of one of the last butlers to work at a large manor in England. What is Dignity? seems to be the major thread that unites all of his different experiences of becoming a largely marginalized person, of becoming someone with a worth different from others. The love story is heart wrenchi ...more

flag 191 likes · Like · see review

Dec 02, 2017 İntellecta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

The book „Was vom Tag übrig blieb” written by kazuo Ishiguro is about the duties and the value system of the butlers profession in a past era. This roman is written in a beautiful language which shows the perspectives of butler´s responsibilities in former times. It includes themes like European history, politics and social structures in the 20th century, self-deception, lost love and the human dignity.
Kazuo Ishiguro gives the protagonist Stevens a virtuously formulated narrative voice which rep ...more

flag 175 likes · Like · see review

Sep 30, 2007 Paul Bryant rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

As far as I could see this was like a maid and a butler in one of those British mansions that lords live in and they didn't shag each other. End of. This for more than 200 pages. It's like I could organise more interesting snail races. Even if the snails fell asleep it would be more eventful than this book. I would say that this book is supposed to be good and they made a film but this is a very good example of why literature is being replaced by computer games. You will not see a computer game ...more

flag 169 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2016 Jean-Luke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

You know, you get to the end of this book and it makes you wonder if there is such a thing as too perfect. Not only are all the i's dotted and all t's crossed, the dots have embroidered edges, and the crosses are tied in a bow. A follows B follows C, but there's a part of you that wishes that just once you could see Stevens really lose his cool, perhaps drop an f-bomb--it is probable that the fault lies entirely with me. It must, surely. Perfect, too perfect--no such thing. I've simply seen The ...more

flag 154 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2015 Beata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

YES! YES!YES! The Nobel Prize totally deserved! So jubilant as one of my favourite Authors to whom I've been faithful for nearly 20 years has been honoured with the Prize! ...more

flag 145 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2016 Glenn Sumi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: booker-winners, contemp-classics, nobel-winners, guardian-1000, favorites

An exquisite novel featuring one of the most fascinating unreliable narrators in all of fiction.

In post-war England, Stevens, an aging, old-school English butler who’s worked for decades at Darlington Hall, plans a car trip to visit the estate’s former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, in the west country. During the journey, he reflects on his long career, and we get a good sense of his life – inextricably linked to his long-time employer, Lord Darlington – and that of his country.

Thanks to Downton Abb An exquisite novel featuring one of the most fascinating unreliable narrators in all of fiction.

In post-war England, Stevens, an aging, old-school English butler who’s worked for decades at Darlington Hall, plans a car trip to visit the estate’s former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, in the west country. During the journey, he reflects on his long career, and we get a good sense of his life – inextricably linked to his long-time employer, Lord Darlington – and that of his country.

Thanks to Downton Abbey, I now know the difference between butlers, footmen and valets, so that came in handy. Unfortunately, I kept seeing Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, who played Stevens and Miss Kenton in the acclaimed film adaptation, in my head. That’s not writer Kazuo Ishiguro’s fault, though.

The book stands on its own merits. Above all, it’s a triumph of first-person narration. Stevens’s voice is proper, stuffy and impeccably formal, with lots of “indeeds” and “Be that as it mays” and “In any events.”

It’s also extremely funny. As the book opens in the mid-50s, Darlington Hall is owned by Mr. Farraday, an American businessman, and Stevens is stymied by the man’s habit of bantering. Ever the hard worker, Stevens attempts to improve his banter skills, resulting in at least one hilarious passage later on.

In another section, a pompous upper-class guest of Lord Darlington asks Stevens to explain the birds and the bees to the man’s own son. Classic.

The between-the-wars setting gives the book added heft, especially in Stevens’s devotion to Darlington, despite the employer’s questionable politics. The way Ishiguro shows Stevens defending the man is highly effective; Stevens tells us (and the world) one thing while we intuit something else.

There are also a couple of scenes in which we feel genuine pity for Stevens. Both, tellingly, involve class.

What gives the book its heart, though, is the changing relationship between Stevens and Miss Kenton. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is the kind of book that makes you think about what’s important in life: love and family or work.

Sometimes providing consolation or showing affection – even though it might not be the most “professional” behaviour – can be life-altering.

Not a bad takeaway – among other things – from this remarkable book. ...more

flag 144 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2011 Jim Fonseca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: upstairs-downstairs, british-authors

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

This book is by the 2017 Nobel prize winner and it won the 1989 Booker prize. Many people know it from the 1993 movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

Stevens is a British butler approaching retirement after a distinguished career at a manor house. For those familiar with the TV series Downton Abbey, he’s a lot like Mr. Carson. Stevens’ world has changed. It’s 1956. The glitzy and glorious times of the manor during the 1920’s and 1930’s are gone ...more

flag 211 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: man-booker, nobels, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

Don't let your principles steal your judgment, your feelings, your life!

This novel - like all of Kazuo Ishiguro's work - has many quiet messages, and it can be read in many different ways. When I first read it, a long time ago, I thought it was a brilliant study of English customs and history before and during the Second World War, and I used to give it to friends and family as a reminder of how fascism can be supported and cultivated in an environment of duty and loyalty. During later reading Don't let your principles steal your judgment, your feelings, your life!

This novel - like all of Kazuo Ishiguro's work - has many quiet messages, and it can be read in many different ways. When I first read it, a long time ago, I thought it was a brilliant study of English customs and history before and during the Second World War, and I used to give it to friends and family as a reminder of how fascism can be supported and cultivated in an environment of duty and loyalty. During later readings, I focused more on the personal sacrifice of the butler who renounces private happiness to prove to himself that he is the best of his profession - pride and prejudice thus winning over sense and sensibility.

Now, putting the novel into the hands of my own children, encouraging them to read it as part of our Nobel Collection, I find myself saying that this novel proves the danger of loyalty and of being rigidly true to one's origins and early opinions.

I find myself lecturing - this novel held up as an example - on the need for courage to CHANGE!

My reading of this novel has definitely changed over time, but it remains one of my favourite books - partly just because it speaks to me in different ways as I grow older and as I change my approach to life and literature.

As we can't stop time from changing the world we live in, we should learn from the new impulses we receive from current developments, listen to our hearts and speak up against evil, especially if it is on our own doorstep. To be able to recognise evil, though, we need to open our eyes to the wider perspectives offered by different life experiences and opinions, and that is what I would have wished for the old butler to do: see the world through a different prism in order to be able to judge it according to a more generous and open worldview.

But it is a hard balance between keeping traditions one has learned to cherish and respect and at the same time letting the world in.
- Whoever celebrates traditional Christmas in a big and diverse family knows what I am talking about!

Must-read! - Humanity's dilemma in a nutshell (made in England). ...more

flag 145 likes · Like · see review

Sep 11, 2013 Diane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Diane by: Samadrita

Shelves: british-charm, movie-adaptation, favorites, modern-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Why did I wait so many years to read this book? It's beautiful. I loved it so much that I finished it in almost one sitting. I feel a bit like Mr. Stevens, sitting on the pier at the end of the story, wondering how his life could have been different. While Mr. Stevens is thinking of a lost love; I'm thinking of the bad books that could have been avoided if I had picked up Ishiguro instead.

I'll keep the synopsis brief, since most of my GR friends have already read this. The story is told by Mr. S Why did I wait so many years to read this book? It's beautiful. I loved it so much that I finished it in almost one sitting. I feel a bit like Mr. Stevens, sitting on the pier at the end of the story, wondering how his life could have been different. While Mr. Stevens is thinking of a lost love; I'm thinking of the bad books that could have been avoided if I had picked up Ishiguro instead.

I'll keep the synopsis brief, since most of my GR friends have already read this. The story is told by Mr. Stevens, a traditional English butler, who served under Lord Darlington for several decades. The narrative begins in 1956 with Stevens adjusting to a new master, who is an American gentleman. Stevens sets out on a car journey across England to meet with a former housekeeper, Miss Kenton. During the journey, Stevens reminisces about his pre-war experiences at Darlington Hall and his relationship with Miss Kenton. There are themes of dignity, the purpose of life, how time is spent, choosing work over love (or love over work), and what constitutes greatness. Everything is shared from Mr. Stevens' perspective, who relates his thoughts in a stream of consciousness, occasionally recounting conversations with others.

Let me pause here to discuss a theory I have, which is that there are two kinds of readers: those who like stream-of-consciousness narrative and those who don't. I am firmly in the former camp, but I've heard several readers say they loathe SOC. The structure of "Remains of the Day" reminded me of another book that I loved: Virginia Woolf's "To the Lighthouse." Both involved SOC narration, both stories take place over only a few days, and both had themes of lost time.

I liked the movie version of "Remains of the Day," but the text moved me even more. I desperately wanted to shake Mr. Stevens and try to get him to wake up to his present life, instead of being so consumed by his profession. Of course, Miss Kenton tries to do this several times — she brings him flowers, she teases him about a romance book he's reading, she tries to comfort him when his father dies — but Stevens is so obsessed with being dignified and restraining his emotions that he can't break free.

Because this story is so well-known, I think I can share a favorite passage toward the end of the book. Stevens is in a reflective mood after saying goodbye to Miss Kenton; he's sitting on the pier and is chatting with a stranger:

"Lord Darlington wasn't a bad man. He wasn't a bad man at all. And at least he had the privilege of being able to say at the end of his life that he made his own mistakes. His lordship was a courageous man. He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at least. As for myself, I cannot even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted in his lordship's wisdom. All those years I served him, I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can't even say I made my own mistakes. Really — one has to ask oneself — what dignity is there in that?"

My dear Mr. Stevens, I shall remember your story and will keep it on my bookshelf. I'm sure our paths will cross again.

Update October 2017
I decided to reread this novel after Mr. Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize for Literature, and I'm so glad I did. This time I listened to it on audio, performed by Simon Prebble, and it was a wonderful experience. This is still a 5-star book for me. Highly recommended. ...more

flag 141 likes · Like · see review

Nov 22, 2012 Samadrita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: man-booker-prize, bygones-are-never-bygones, amazing-characterization, european-literature, melancholia, tear-jerkers, slice-of-life, philosophy-philosophical, humour-of-the-dignified-kind, adoration

When I had merely read about 30 or so pages of this book, I must confess I was debating whether or not to continue with it, given the unbearably slow pacing of the plot.
And then when I had finally reached the end, I couldn't help but feel immensely thankful to my own better judgement against giving it up. Since by that time I had been reduced to a pathetic, blubbering mass of emotions and tears, teetering on the verge of a major breakdown and marvelling at the writer's remarkable achievement at When I had merely read about 30 or so pages of this book, I must confess I was debating whether or not to continue with it, given the unbearably slow pacing of the plot.
And then when I had finally reached the end, I couldn't help but feel immensely thankful to my own better judgement against giving it up. Since by that time I had been reduced to a pathetic, blubbering mass of emotions and tears, teetering on the verge of a major breakdown and marvelling at the writer's remarkable achievement at the same time.

The Remains of the Day is Kazuo Ishiguro's ode to England - its bygone glories, numerous idiosyncrasies and fallacies.
Through the life of Stevens, the protagonist and a quintessentially uptight English butler to a distinguished Lord, Ishiguro takes us on a journey of a nation through two wars which crippled it financially and relegated it to the sidelines of international politics as another nation slowly rose to take its place. However, it is not merely the tale of a tottering Britain but also a human drama centering around themes such as self-discovery, lasting regret, nostalgia, unfulfilled love and the enduring desire to start over anew.
Stevens is not just a symbol of the inimitable sophistication that defines English culture but also an emblem of the undeniable hollowness of it. Of the unalterable mistakes committed in the course of a long and eventful journey - be it the journey of life of a man or one nation.
Even though the verbosity of Ishiguro's prose may tend to make the narrative monotonous from time to time, it is never too big an impediment to navigate around.
In fact it is the elegant language which catapults this novel into the league of classic English literature, in my opinion. Besides the unhurried, tender nuances of Ishiguro's story-telling do not deserve any less.

Oh yes he most certainly deserved the Man Booker for this. And I think I will now commence the operation of procuring all of Ishiguro's published works.

(Review originally posted on:- November 24, 2012) ...more

flag 138 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a compelling portrait of the perfect English butler and of his fading, insular world in postwar England – At the end of his three decades of service in Darlington Hall, Stevens embarks on a vacation, driving in the country, hoping to reconnect with a woman with whom he had once worked, and with whom he felt some stifled form of intimacy.

description

Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins in the film - from The Guardian

Over these few days, he looks back over his career to reassure himself that he has serv ...more

flag 123 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2017 Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it

Shelves: novels, fiction, booker-winners, made-into-movie, english-20th-c

Beautiful, heartbreaking book of understatement and about the price for following convention and one's sense of duty over the desires (expressed or not) of one's heart. I have not seen the movie yet, but I have heard it captured the subdued tone and deeper philosophical questions posed by Isihiguro's choices in narration and subjects. ...more

flag 119 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2015 Nishat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: joyous, modern-classic, favorites

Mr James Stevens, an English butler setting out towards the west country, is the most wonderful man, one could possibly have an encounter with. His loyalty to the perished, service to the prominent and sense of dignity that elevates others' as well, command of utmost awe and regards.

Mr Stevens, during a well earned motoring trip, here reflects upon several scattered events that forming a pattern, trace back to the past of his honorable service in House Darlington which stood formidably in the fa ...more

flag 116 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2017 Joe Valdez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-general

Love is in the air--or maybe anxiously repressed--in February and my romantic literature jag continues with The Remains of the Day, the 1989 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction the same year. This is a magnificent novel, artfully focused in its portraiture of William Stevens, butler of the fictitious Darlington Hall near Oxford. On one level, Stevens' first person account of his service is rendered in beautifully crafted language, full of one Englishman's stoic ...more

flag 102 likes · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2011 Nandakishore Varma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

This is not a review of the book as such - but a blog post I wrote in March 2015, when I suddenly felt the onset of age. I feel it can be an appropriate tribute to this wonderful novel.

This year in August, I will turn fifty-two.

For the past few years, thoughts of my eventual demise have been persistent at the back of my brain. It is not actually fear of death – it is more like the certainty of an unpleasant fact of life which cannot be avoided; something you would like to put off as much as ...more

flag 104 likes · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2016 Phrynne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Hmm. Literary classic, very well regarded author, well rated by lots of people - I should really like this one. Sadly I only found it okay.
What I didn't like:
* too much inner dialogue. I was well aware that the main character was an unreliable narrator and that we have to read between his lines to get to the truth but there were still too many lines!
* I was never emotionally involved. I have read reviews where people are devastated by the ending. I just said "oh well" and put the book down.
What ...more

flag 101 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Louize rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Louize by: The Filipino Group

Shelves: tfg-f2f

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY – AN OPEN LETTER

Dearest James,

I know that introduction is a must, polite even, but on this one I do suggest that we skip that. It is you who matters, and no one else.

Foremost, how was the end of your motoring trip? Was it pleasant on your return? I do hope that none of the inconveniences you encountered on leaving crossed your path on the way home. It was a good thing Mr. Farraday suggested this motoring trip. You’ve been cooked up in that hall for a very long time. Differ ...more

flag 96 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2017 Matthew Quann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: early 1900s, really good writing,

Shelves: favourites, booker-prize

Dear Reader,

It is my hope that this missive finds you in good stead and lodgings befitting a person who has displayed nothing but the utmost professionalism throughout their career. I have, after a considerable period of deliberation, undertaken the not-insignificant task of recommending a novel to your noble personage. If you will permit me a brief tangent on the topic of the novel itself, I believe you will find yourself in the position to do nothing short of reading the pages in question.

It h Dear Reader,

It is my hope that this missive finds you in good stead and lodgings befitting a person who has displayed nothing but the utmost professionalism throughout their career. I have, after a considerable period of deliberation, undertaken the not-insignificant task of recommending a novel to your noble personage. If you will permit me a brief tangent on the topic of the novel itself, I believe you will find yourself in the position to do nothing short of reading the pages in question.

It has been my fortunate experience to have read many terrific novels over the course of my life. Some of the finest of those have found relatable leads in situations with which I can empathize. Mr. Ishiguro has penned just such a novel with his revelatory volume, The Remains of the Day. Indeed, Mr. Stevens' engrossing account of his service to Lord Darlington touches upon the very fabric of service that binds together the working class.

I was able to appreciate a kindred spirit in Stevens, who so often has to place his personal desire to the side for sake of his duty. However, it is the spirit in which Mr. Stevens writes that so beautifully conveys his plight. Mr. Stevens' dutiful nature, professional ideals, and rigorous self-discipline often deter him from engaging in meaningful social interactions. The very format of his account is one that unrolls his career in an almost academic manner, betraying very little with respect to his emotions. Yet, there are telltale signs that Mr. Stevens is not at all the brick wall he purports to be.

Truly, this was a novel written in the grand tradition of English literature: it entertains, it moves, it provokes thought. Mr. Ishiguro has done a great service to the reading community and I look forward to engaging with this gentleman's catalogue in the future. Though this was my first meeting with the man's work, I would be remiss not to mention that I was impressed by no small amount. It is my steadfast hope that you may find your hands graced with the volume in question. I have little doubt that you will find a novel of the absolute highest calibre. ...more

flag 86 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
EVERYONE Has Read...: The Remains of the Day - Buddy Read	5	10	4 hours, 43 min ago
Reading 1001: Remains of the Day	6	57	Dec 05, 2020 04:51PM
James Mustich's 1...: The Remains of the Day (related media) - November 2020	1	7	Nov 28, 2020 11:47PM
James Mustich's 1...: The Remains of the Day (part three: third, fourth and sixth days) - November 2020	8	11	Nov 23, 2020 09:08AM
James Mustich's 1...: The Remains of the Day (general discussion) - November 2020	5	12	Nov 20, 2020 07:22AM
James Mustich's 1...: The Remains of the Day (part one: first day) - November 2020	7	10	Nov 20, 2020 04:02AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fiction

5,225 users

Historical > Historical Fiction

2,359 users

Classics

1,508 users

Literature

561 users

Literary Fiction

535 users

Historical

520 users

Novels

482 users

European Literature > British Literature

421 users

Contemporary

363 users

Audiobook

277 users

See top shelves…

About Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro

18,701 followers

Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ or 石黒一雄), OBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist of Japanese origin and Nobel Laureate in Literature (2017). His family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course in 1980. He became a British citizen in 1982. He now lives in London.

Hi ...more

Books by Kazuo Ishiguro

More…

Articles featuring this book

Readers' Most Anticipated Books of March

Some interesting news for book nerds: According to recent industry research, book sales spiked dramatically in 2020–otherwise a rather...

Trivia About The Remains of th...

26 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Remains of th...

“Indeed — why should I not admit it? — in that moment, my heart was breaking.” — 401 likes

“What is the point of worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one's life took? Surely it is enough that the likes of you and I at least try to make our small contribution count for something true and worthy. And if some of us are prepared to sacrifice much in life in order to pursue such aspirations, surely that in itself, whatever the outcome, cause for pride and contentment.” — 374 likes

More quotes…

See a Problem?

Preview — The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Kazuo Ishiguro

Books by Kazuo Ishiguro

Articles featuring this book

Trivia About The Remains of th...

Quotes from The Remains of th...

See a Problem?

Preview — The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Genres

About Kazuo Ishiguro

Books by Kazuo Ishiguro

Articles featuring this book

Trivia About The Remains of th...

Quotes from The Remains of th...

new topic
Discuss This Book