Book Reco # 14: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
A simple story of a butler as he reminisces about his past.
Hello!
What a wonderful gem this book is. It's quiet and melancholic that I just want to pick up Stevens, our narrator, and teach him about Miranda of Station Eleven's mantra, "I repent nothing." As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, I am catching up on my 23 on 23 book list, and this book is one of them. I've only read one Kazuo Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go) before this, and I know he has quite a few good books up his sleeve. And so, I picked his most popular book - The Remains of the Day. Warning. This is a sad book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars
Stevens, the butler of one of England's most prominent houses, Darlington Hall, goes on a road trip and reminisces about his past. He recollects his what could have beens and turning points in both his professional and personal life. Very little happens in this book plot-wise, but we get to know Stevens more as he meditates on his professional life and, unavoidably, his personal life through journaling. The book is sometimes funny as Stevens agonizes over his lack of "bantering" skills.
Over the course of the book we will come to know Stevens’ loyalty to his employer, Lord Darlington. Stevens, who has worked so hard to do what he thought was right, realizes that maybe Lord Darlington wasn’t worth it after all. As a result, Stevens missed out on other important things in life, like love and companionship. My heart breaks a little when Stevens realizes that he has given the best years of his life and now he has nothing left to give. Even though he realizes this, I don't think he regrets anything. In the words of Stevens:
"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?"
Personally, my professional life has changed since the pandemic. Since I was home most of the time, I discovered new passions and rediscovered my love of reading. Now, I don’t want anything else to take my time away from the things I love. Since then, I clock in and out exactly as agreed. No overtimes, no working lunches, no weekend work, nothing. When that clock hits 5 PM, I read my books, do yoga, call my mother or nieces, binge a new series with my boyfriend, or play that new video game. I even plan to make my own clothes once we have the space.
But I digress. Now, let’s go back to the book. I am a big fan of books with a distinct tone of voice. Our narrator's voice is written in a restrained and somewhat formal tone that befits his profession as a butler - indicating that he only ever looks at himself professionally. I love it when authors nails a character’s personality to the tone of writing. As a former copywriter whose job is to pin down a brand’s personality through words, I was geeked out.
As I read this book, I've gained a newfound appreciation for quieter books. Quiet books like Norwegian Wood and Station Eleven give you slices of life and always had a place in my heart. But reading The Remains of the Day made me appreciate books like these more.
If you plan on reading this book, put your feet up and enjoy the remains of the day as Stevens takes you on his journey.
What I'm Reading This Week..
Another one on my 23 on 2023 book list is The Turn of the Screw. I am also "reading" Book Lovers by Emily Henry as an audiobook while I do chores.
