The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro

slovenly

bereft

steeple,

racy

‘too many people believe themselves capable of working at these higher levels without having the least idea of the exacting demands involved. It is certainly not suited to just anybody.’

stridency

crockery

alcove

There was surely nothing to indicate at the time that such evidently small incidents would render whole dreams forever irredeemable.

hewn

tankards

niggle

languid

mirthful

‘we still persist with the notion that this nation’s decisions be left in the hands of our good man here and to the few million others like him.

Democracy is something for a bygone era. The world’s far too complicated a place now for universal suffrage and such like. For endless members of parliament debating things to a standstill.

Lord Camberley

culpable

muddle.

bungling

Over the last few years, his lordship has probably been the single most useful pawn Herr Hitler has had in this country for his propaganda tricks.

It’s hardly a secret our new king has always been an enthusiast for the Nazis.

conjuror’s

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?’

‘You’ve got to enjoy yourself. 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. That’s how I look at it. Ask anybody, they’ll all tell you. The evening’s the best part of the day.’

Perhaps, then, there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day. 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?

After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a foolish thing to indulge in – particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth.