Rating: 
Summary: A cruel tale
Review: A butler (Mr. Stevens) close to retirement reflects his convictions and life while traveling the countrysides of England during a 6-day holiday granted by his new, American master. The official purpose for his journey is to seek out a particular candidate, a certain Miss Kenton, who had worked under him before, to fill an open maid position. His real mission, arguably, which he does not discuss overtly, was to see for himself how she was doing. Stevens refers to her as Miss Kenton in his mind yet addresses her as Mrs. Benn when he actually gets to see her.What is it that makes life worth living? Stevens in his youth seeked perfection in his occupation -- for this he had sacrificed his best years and proximity from his father. Diginity, he says, differentiates great butlers from the merely good. With all earnestness he strived to become a butler with dignity, a truly great butler. With his best years and biggest accomplishments behind him, he sits down and thinks: Was it all that worthwhile? What Stevens speaks of do not necessary coincide with reality (reality including the state of his heart). Not to say that he was trying to deceive. What he speaks of, in my opinion, was what he wanted to believe in (was his employer, Lord Darlington, really fault-free in his view?), or what he perceived as the right way to think (is it not honorable to place one's duty before everything else?). There is a subtle incongruity between reality and Stevens' representation of reality that is ultimately left to the reader to resolve. I think I have found my answers to this disparity in the very last pages of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Remains of the Days
Review: This story explores a world of Butlering that no one could possibly have imagined. When the average person thinks of Butlers they probably don't associate that field with excitement and yet this book which revolves around a Butler named Stevens and his reflections on his employers and his years in the field always keeps the reader turning to the next page.
The story is told from Steven's point of view and when reading this it felt almost satiric on the part of the writer. Stevens seems to take the world and the dilemma's of butlery in high seriousness, and the reader will probably find this humorous. It is this seriousness towards running a household and his profession that make this such an enjoyable read because a reader cannot help but be amused by all this. There are many characters in this books all seen through Stevens eyes and their interactions with the main character are quite amusing. The back and forth dialogue alone is worth reading this book just for the witticisms and entertaining banter. It is because of this dialogue that many fun nuances wander through the pages of the book, building up tension. This nuance helps the reader to both sympathize with Stevens based off certain events in the story and at the same time feel angry with him for his selfish behavior. It beg the question: Is there such a thing as too much professionalism?
Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking
Review: This book deserved its Brooker Prize (and more). Take a well-written, understated story of a butler adjusting to a new (American) gentleman, put the butler on his first road trip, have the memory of his butler-father intermingle with his trying to make sense of his new world - you get this thought-provoking tale. What are the limits of professionalism and loyalty? How does one maintain these qualities in a world in which their definitions appear to be changing? How does one admit to themselves that clinging to old ways leave one unable to read correctly present situations much less respond correctly? These questions are explored in a tale of grace and humor. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: extraordinarily sensitive character study
Review: ishiguro, with this novel, clearly proves he is master of tone and subtlety. its hard to believe this novel was not written by an english 'gentleman'. the strength of this brilliant and moving novel is its ability to unravel the various facets of the 3 lead characters, the narrator Mr. Stevens, Lord Darlington and the Housekeeper Miss Kenton, through subtle intones about their moods and behavior and morality and feelings without ever for an instance saying anything blatantly. this is a work of a true master, through a light hearted and dextruosly woven word play he evokes the feel and sense of a time and place, enabling us to study three powerful and interesting characters. a definite must read for all discerning lovers of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: New Realms of Consciousness
Review: This is an extremely well-written, well-thought-out, well-timed, well-planned book. Impeccable, one might say, just like its staid and stoic hero, James Stevens. This man embodies the solipsistic personae; he knows only of his personal 'dignity', how far it can stretch, and how far it has come over the years. He claims that the night his father died is also the same night where he approached the great 'dignity' of the legendary butlers, whom he fondles in his mind very happily in a charming early part of the narrative. This night is also the climax of days of political debate and conspiring among the world's (we assume) most important politicians and statesmen, where Stevens puts his dead father in his back pocket so he can continue serving. While approaching this shining statue of 'dignity' he builds up and constantly calls into question, he never claims that he actually has ever touched it, or at least climbed to the top of it. Yet it seems it his entire preoccupation. Really though, it is a red herring from the true preoccupation, the old house-keeper, a self-doubting Ms. Kenton. We might notice that Stevens is in love with Kenton (the movie certainly thinks so) but it is never established. Rather it is left quite up in the air, much as the amount of dignity Stevens has merited in his life. Our judgement of this level of dignity shifts constantly in the book, confusing our sense of what is important, ultimately calling into question the validity of it's narrator. For example, Stevens conveniently forgets certain details, names, occurences, while recalling in florid detail the events of some 30 or 40 years ago. He recalls, with great passion, the story of his father defending the name of his employer against three members of high society and getting away with it, an event he was not even there to personally witness! How can we trust this man?? There is so much going on in this book that the 245 pages are too maddeningly short! I demand at least 200 more! Perhaps Ishiguro's next book can be called "Leftovers of the Day"? Buy it, read it. This is one of the best books to come out since it was released (1988).
Rating:
Summary: How To Lose Your Life And Keep On Living
Review: This is one of those books that you finish, and sit there for a few minutes in silence filled with the awareness that you have just read a truly great novel. Author Ishiguro provides us with the reminiscences of a stereotypically reserved British butler. It is 1956, and Stevens is nearing the end of a long, loyal career serving the inhabitants of Darlington Hall. Lord Darlington has died, and an American has purchased the estate. The once sizable staff of 27 servants has now been reduced to three. Stevens is on a brief motor trip from Oxfordshire to Cornwall to visit the former Housekeeper of Darlington Hall, Mrs. Kenton, and is hopeful of enticing her to return with him to join his small staff. From his musings while traveling we learn that Stevens repressed every aspect of his personal feelings and values in order to do his duty as head of the household staff of the estate. Duty, loyalty and dignity are the sole values that he admits to, and they have governed his life since arriving at Darlington Hall around 1927. While his father dies in an upstairs room he cannot attend to him as he must see to it that nothing goes amiss at a large conference that is underway. His dealings with Mrs. Kenton are cold and formal, though you become increasingly aware that there are feelings developing between them that go beyond those of a usual co-worker relationship. Stevens also feels that his loyal service to Lord Darlington enabled him to play a small, but meaningful role in Lord Darlington's efforts to bring about world peace. As Stevens analyzes the past both he and the reader begin to realize that his defense of his life is falling apart. He is forced to realize that his blind support of an aristocrat may have been misguided. His denial of feelings have cost him a relationship with a woman who had fallen in love with him. Stevens has come ultimately to face the "remains of the day", that being the remaining years of his life. The style of this novel is simple and stately. It is filled with an understated eloquence that is spellbinding. This is a reality novel of the mind. For the length of the book we are privy to Stevens's thoughts as he wrestles with them, as he tries to grapple with the disturbing feelings about his life that are bubbling to the surface. Ishiguro is an incredibly talented author. This is a beautiful work of literature.
Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Dignity
Review: The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, is a wonderful novel filled with concepts rarely addressed by today's modern literary society. The style of Ishiguro is one that manages to convey such themes as diginty and honor in a way that makes the mind wonder as to why people act in the way they do. The novel is littered with clever whitticisms that manage to get the mind working along a subtle path. It is enlightening and shows the world as it has not been seen before.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful novel
Review: I love drama novels that make me think about my own lot in life. This book makes you close it and say that is what I should not do I should act seize the day and not watch opportunities pass me by. Worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: The True Meaning of Dignity
Review: With its honest and sensual style, 'The Remains of the Day' is an oddly compelling multifaceted recount of 'days of ure'. Set in the summer of 1956, the novel, which heralds from the romance genre, is a realistic tale which investigates the relationship between the ruling class and their subjects during a politically disheartening time which led to the holocaust. Although on first reading, 'The Remains of the Day' does not at all appear to be a romance story. The novel does not follow any of the guidelines which are used for classical romance works. This novel uses almost an antihero in the form of Stevens, an elderly butler juxtaposed against Miss Kenton, a faceless heroine. These anti-romantic elements combined with the background story of the romance function to add meaning and create a somewhat forlorn nature to the story. Fundamentally, a character driven story centred around the role of Stevens and his dedication to his job, 'The Remains of the Day', is told through Stevens's gentle and seamless narration as he embarks both mentally and physically down the path to his past where he discovers the courage to continue in his role as butler of Darlington Hall. Stevens himself, is a true gentleman who discovers the meaning of dignity through his devotion to his work and his employers. 'The Remains of the Day' is a tale with a multilayered narrative which investigates the notions of morality and moral responsibility as well as irony. Ishiguro writes flawlessly and creates a story which on one level can be read as a tale of one person's devotion to his work and on others can be seen as a tale of love lost, or a glimpse of the turbulent times around the early 20th century, or even as a view into the prestigious lives of the rich and their servants. Despite the sad and at times depressive nature of this book, Ishiguro mixes irony and cynicism into a romantic, yet hostile, tale of life, love and unfulfilled dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and heartbreaking
Review: Ishiguro has created a wonder- he has managed to cram the evolution of the British mentality over the past hundred years into a deceptively simple plot. By adopting an impeccable tone that is remarkably frank yet taut with the propriety and repression that one associates with the ideal butler, he presents the collapse of the early twentieth century concept of the gentleman. The book is far more than a treatise on England, however. It is a distinctly human story of a man questioning everything that he has believed in and strived for in his life. More than simply asking whether he has succeeded, Stevens is faced with questions concerning the very nature of value of the ideals to which he blindly devoted himself for fifty years. But ultimately, Ishiguro offers an optimistic look at the value of one's endeavors, declaring that regardless of the past, the remains of the day are often its most pleasant part. Although at times the book is quite sad, Ishiguro is very good at adding comic moments, and overall, I think anyone would enjoy it.
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