Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro --> Starting June 1st, 2021

[Aly]

Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.

Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: What does it mean to love?

[Caroline]

Part One (view spoiler)[I'm intrigued so far. I definitely have a lot of questions about why Klara's vision splits into rectangles sometimes, how it works that she is powered by the sun, how exactly AFs are made, and why the Mother asked the questions she did and seemed so mad. I hope these get answered! (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Part One (view spoiler)[ The theme is truly intriguing. I am also wondering how the AFs are made that they each get distinct personalities. Also, the very need for most of the children having AFs possibly indicates a lonelier life for the children. I wonder what the world outside the shop is really like. (hide spoiler)]

[Caroline]

Part Two (view spoiler)[So it sounds like the kids are all doing virtual school with only occasional meetings. My first thought was definitely a pandemic, especially since this was just released. But then it wouldn't make sense for them to all meet like they did, so I guess it must be something else. I'm not sure what it could be.

I kind of get the impression the Mother thinks Josie might die and wants Klara to replace her if that happens, which is really creepy. I also think it's weird that Klara was designed to be a friend, but she's so socially awkward. She doesn't know how to use pronouns correctly, and she doesn't understand things like Josie wanting her to show off in front of the other kids. I'm really wondering about how Klara was made. (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Part Two (view spoiler)[ My guess is that the children have been altered somehow (may be some surgery or implantation). The word 'lifted' sounds like a synonym for improved. And whatever it is, Rick doesn't have it. I am wondering how Sal passed away, as a side effect of the same process or some normal disease that prompted mother to 'lift' Josie.

I agree with Mother's behavior with Klara at the falls being creepy. I had the same vibe and it was strange. But I don't think Klara is socially awkward. I think she is very sensitive and with the other kids she felt bad and hurt, so she shut down her response. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[nivedita]

Part One(view spoiler)[I'm curious as to why Mother asked if Klara could imitate Josie's walk. For a second there I was afraid that Klara was going to be used as a Josie lookalike. Both Josie and Rick seem to have single parents, I wonder if this is a common case. In some ways, all the kids feel like experiments since their parents are extremely cautious with them. Do AFs hurt children somehow? What fuels Rick's hostility towards AFs? (hide spoiler)]

[Caroline]

Part Three (view spoiler)[This is getting really weird. I don't think Klara really understands how the sun works. But I could be wrong. Since it is science fiction, maybe the sun works differently in this world. But if she is wrong, then where did she get this idea she had a whole conversation with the sun? Everyone says AFs are so smart, but honestly she doesn't seem very smart to me. (hide spoiler)]

[nivedita]

finished (view spoiler)[In all honestly, there's so much to tackle in this novel. I'm a bit disappointed at how the novel progressed, the ending especially was bland. To Caroline's comment about the significance of the sun, I think that because Klara - and all the other AFs - spent their time in the store learning to praise the sun for its "life and warmth" or whatnot, and because the sun is what powers all AFs, she views the sun as her god of some sort. What's really surprising is that other people, like Chrissie and Paul, also refer to the sun as a person. I don't think the concept of religion exists in this world since no one prayed to any god, yet the sun is their savior. Now for the ending! I really wanted to see things go bad lol. If we got to see Josie's health deteriorate and Klara take her place, that would've opened up so many more conversations about true human individuality and life. Having Klara be healed in a matter of hours because she laid in the sun for a while was underwhelming. Even more so when the novel ends with Klara being discarded?! It's a bit annoying. For context, correct me if I'm wrong, but because she gave up some of her fluid when destroying Cooting's Machine with Paul and then again when she went to the barn for the second time, she lost some of her functionality aka her losing the ability to move around which is why Josie's family places her in the dump (or so I think, I have no idea how she got to the dump). The ending was so disappointing ughh I'm seriously thinking of rewriting it on ao3 or something :/ The fact that this insane plot is revealed where Klara could take up Josie's place as a human, and then quickly brushed over in a matter of pages?! What was the point of this book? To learn about how humans cannot be replicated by machinery because we have "complex hearts"? We didn't even get a chance to see that plot in motion. Just saying it's not possible is nowhere near enough. Other than that, because I read the book in a day and barely put it down, I gave it 4 stars. It might seem like I'm super frustrated but in all honesty, the story was good. Klara and the Sun will be a big book this year. (hide spoiler)]

[Caroline]

Part Four (view spoiler)[Idk, a lot is happening, but I am getting kinda bored. Klara is basically killing herself because of her kooky idea that the sun gives special nourishment based on this bargain she invented in her head. We got confirmation that the Mother wants Klara to replace Josie. But at least I'm close to the end. (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Part three and half of four (view spoiler)[ So Mother is trying to replicate Josie, which didn't come as a surprise at Capaldi's place. It just confirmed what I have been guessing for some time. I wonder if people in our world would take up an option like this if it were available to them. While it is kind of creepy to replicate a living person in an AI like that, I can understand a parent wanting to keep her child alive in whatever form she can. I still hope the concept of 'lifted' gets better explained later on, it's bugging me to not understand what it means.

As for Klara's interaction with the Sun, I think it resonates human interactions with God. To Klara, Sun is the source of her life and strength, and she believes the sun can help others if it wishes. So she makes a request and deal with it to save someone she loves, much like people giving offerings to God. For Klara, it's all about the faith she has in Sun, while she also understands that others might not get her beliefs. (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

nib wrote: "finished [spoilers removed]"

I only read part of your comment because I haven't finished yet. But looks like (view spoiler)[ we have both reached the same conclusion of the Sun representing religion in that world. (hide spoiler)]

[Caroline]

Finished. (view spoiler)[Meh. I didn't like the ending, It felt like a cop out for Josie to get better as if Klara's plan had worked, but without any explanation as to how it worked. I assume it was a coincidence, but then it's just really unsatisfying. (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Finished. I liked it, but not as much as I was blown away by Never Let Me Go. (view spoiler)[ I am still confused by Josie's recovery. I take the day of sunlight falling on her and the start of her recovery as coincident. But I am wondering what it was supposed to signify - the power of optimism! Or just trying to show how often we confuse coincident as miracles! Or was it something more sinister, like may be whatever genetic engineering was done on the lifted children made them dependent on solar power much like the AFs! (hide spoiler)]
I feel the best part of a book like this is how much it makes you think.

[Ushashi]

niv wrote: "finished [spoilers removed]"

I read the rest of your comment now. (view spoiler)[ I think Klara being discarded was part of her 'slow fade' which is a term of natural death for AFs. I honestly don't think giving up the fluid had much to do with it. But I am not so sure why she had to be in the 'Yard' to fade and not at Josie's home, but it seemed like a common practice for all the AFs since many of them were mentioned to be around the yard.

I am also wondering about the final point of the novel. Then I am not so sure that there is any final point as such. It's ambiguous and possibly intentionally so. There are quite a few metaphors, most prominently the Sun for God or religion. Then one of the most important human attributes, hope, being a main emotion in the AF while the humans are starting to lose faith in human uniqueness. It also paints possible future society based on meritocracy. Lots of things are alluded to, but none are resolved, which can be frustrating (I finished reading yesterday and still can't figure out how to write a review). (hide spoiler)]

[nivedita]

Ushashi wrote: "niv wrote: "finished [spoilers removed]"

I read the rest of your comment now. I think Klara being discarded was part of her 'slow fade' which is a term of natural death for AFs. I honestly don't..."

I honestly agree (view spoiler)[ given how much time and consideration Klara put into Josie and the Mother, the fact that she was still discarded is a bit disgusting. I'm starting to think the ending is synonymous with the conclusion Chrissie had reached with human individuality: AFs were being disregarded because people began to look down on gene editing and AFs as well (for their human-like behavior) and instead valuing humanity and character. The more I think about it, the more I get annoyed with the lack of closure on the ending but there isn't anything that we can do about it haha. (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

niv wrote: "Ushashi wrote: "niv wrote: "finished [spoilers removed]"

I read the rest of your comment now. I think Klara being discarded was part of her 'slow fade' which is a term of natural death for AFs. I..."

That's a nice observation about the fading. Now that you mentioned, it makes a lot of sense.

[Ruthie]

I read this too! It came available through my library app so I'm excited I get to join the discussion

[Ruthie]

I finished it in one day and loved it honestly!

[Ruthie]

(view spoiler)[

So I kinda guessed about them wanting Klara to take their daughter's place because of the creepy scenes where the Mom wanted her to impersonate the daughter so I've got to say that I wasn't shocked at that spoiler (hide spoiler)]

[Ruthie]

(view spoiler)[
But, I was glad that they did not do that and glad the daughter got better. I was surprised she got better though and I'm not sure what message the author was trying to send with this? The power of belief? Or just throw us for a loop because the whole time she's super sickly then shes not? Who knows.

It was a wild ride and one I enjoyed! (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Ruthie wrote: " (view spoiler)[" (hide spoiler)]

Hi Ruthie! Glad you enjoyed it. Looks like nearly everyone was surprised by the ending. Have we all become innately pessimistic?? I think 'power of belief' is partly the message Ishiguro intended.

[Ruthie]

Ushashi wrote: "Ruthie wrote: " "

Hi Ruthie! Glad you enjoyed it. Looks like nearly everyone was surprised by the ending. Have we all become innately pessimistic?? I think 'power of belief' is partly the message ..."

Ya we might be! Also, it's rare to read a book with a sick kid that ends the way this one did