Rating: 
Summary: Spectacular--a quiet marvel
Review: Kazuo Ishiguro's writing in "Remains" is as near to perfection as I think it is possible for an author to come. Stevens, the detached-yet-not-so-detached English butler, deserves a place among literature's greatest first-person narrators; it is impossible not to be moved by his enduring loyalty, his quiet but desperate need to justify his employer's actions, his inability to shed the code of gentility bred into him by his father and by his unique social position, and his longing to always do and say and think and feel the "right thing." It is Ishiguro's flawless writing that makes all of this come through clearly, cleanly, and without the need for literary bells and whistles. "Remains" is the epitome of "restrained" writing and the plot--which weaves in and out of time, as Stevens dissembles and eventually faces the truth about himself and his past--is magnificent. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book
Review: This novel is so heartbreakingly beautiful I get shivers even thinking about it. I loved it on so many levels: as a portrait of upper-class England between the wars, as a subtle tale of unrequited love, as an examination of regret at the end of one's life. It's absolutely a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Powerfully romantic
Review: "Remains of the Day" is an incredibly understated novel. Like an Ang Lee film, every page is bursting with passion and restraint. Stevens is a deeply emotional, romantic person who suppresses every aspect of his "self" in a bid to achieve "dignity in keeping with his position." This book is a study of the idea of public and private selves, as seen through the lenses of the cultures of Japan (the author) and Great Britain (the setting).There are several stories being told here; the social-political drama of the Nazis and Lord Darlington, the fading class system of Great Britain after WWII, and the subtle romance of Stevens and Mrs. Kenton. The first two stories and interesting on a historical level as well as a character level. There is a sadness to Lord Darlington and to the occupants of Darlington Hall who feel a treasured way of life slipping from their fingers. The third story, of Stevens and Mrs. Kenton, is deep and full of heartbreak. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy
Review: The word dignity that concerns Stevens so in this novel comes from the latin dignitas < dignus, worthy. This novel by Ishiguro is worthy of the Booker prize it recieved and much praise from all quarters. Like his previous two novels there is a strong theme here of realization of having backed the wrong horse ,so to speak, and how to proceed from there. This, Ishiguro's third effort, reaches masterpiece quality in form, prose, restraint, and narrative. A previous reviewer's comparison to Chekhov is very apt. Steven's the samurai slash english gentry butler of Darlington hall has spent his life serving what he thought was a great man, Lord Darlington. Darlington , it turns out was an unwitting pawn of the Nazi's in diplomacy between Nazi Germany and England. Steven's realizes this along with his missed romantic chances in his past and it breaks his heart. He must decide a worthy way to spend the remains of his day. Stevens although not a perfect human is a refreshing literary character with his selfless devotion, civility, and ideals. His struggle to learn how to banter and joke is the most touching and humorous part of the book. This is a modern day classic!
Rating:
Summary: This novel is a ruthless celebration of human existence.
Review: We can't escape from the remains of the day. Every single living creature is condemned to look back once in a while and have an outlook of those turning points where we've made decisions regarding our existence. Who knows when to recognize when our own lives are, without any reasonable doubt, worthy and true? We're all intended to make decisions in our lifetime hoping that these will be worthwhile. This is our fate, to live as best as we can to make justice to the last moments of our days. Stevens is a devoted professional. He inhabits his role fully with pride. This man is only interested in practical issues regarding his duties and seeks to achieve personal fulfillment by these means. He even believes that his tasks can affect the course of history. He feels guilt and shame of showing himself to the world in incidental casual daily life matters. Avoids anything (or anyone) that might possibly distract him off his duties even in the most extreme occasions. His efforts to deviate attention on himself are justified by his noble means. But this butler fails all throughout his narration to escape his own human nature. Whenever he's getting introspective, he tries to hide and justify his feelings, doubts and fears but always too late because the reader is always capable to see through him. He lives tormented about how things might have turned out if he had succumbed "just once" to temptation. He wonders if he might find the answer while driving across the country. Stevens renounces his "own search" by living to fulfill the desires of an honorable and noble man. Serving as an instrument, tries to find meaning and bring dignity to his own existence. This is his worst sin of all and he knows it. Mrs. Kenton renounces her "own search" for a while, but as she decides to drift, risk and find a mean to her existence she discovers that this brings severe consequences to her. She tries, risks and then looses. This is her triumph and her capital sin too. The novel makes allusion of the high moral price Great Britain (and maybe Japan) paid as a result of unsuitable policies regarding world war ll. Policies promoted by paternal figures shielded in all noble titles are questioned in the novel. Shame and deep regret for not recognizing on time the challenges of our living moments, incapacity to face reality, being late on making transcendental decisions, all this is part of what awaits for us in the last moments of our days. It is part of the living experience of every man and every country. The motion picture as well as the written novel are not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: A true tour de force
Review: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Highly recommended. It's difficult to believe how much Kazuo Ishiguro packed into this short (by today's standards), highly praised novel -- a lifetime of work and relationships, the realization of inescapable regret, and the hope it is not too late to join the rest of humanity. Stevens is a butler for an English house that is no longer great, nor is it owned by the family for which it is named. His postwar employer is, instead, an American named Farraday; as a stranger will point out to him later, "An American? Well, they're the only ones can afford it now." Farraday "affords" Darlington Hall by shutting much of the house down and using a reduced staff, which Stevens can understand, as the staff that would be available would not be up to his own high standards. When he receives a sad, lonely letter from Darlington's former housekeeper, Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn), and later is told by Farraday that he can borrow his employer's car for a vacation on the road, he weighs the opportunity and decides to take it for "professional reasons" -- to see if he can lure back the highly qualified Miss Kenton to her former position. During the brief journey, he spends much of his time contemplating what "dignity" in his profession means -- and whether he lived up to it. After a plethora of recollections about the late Lord Darlington during the prewar years and after his meeting with Miss Kenton, Stevens comes to two great understandings: he did not serve a great man as he thought he had, and, in doing so, he had missed a chance for love and fulfillment. His devotion to Lord Darlington has betrayed him, personally and professionally. "I can't even say I made my own mistakes," he laments. "Really -- one has to say -- what dignity is there in that?" This revelation does not come quickly or easily to either Stevens or the reader. Each anecdote that Stevens recalls to illustrate a point he wishes to make to himself -- the definition of dignity, how he upheld dignity by serving his employer while his own father lay dying -- subtly reveals how much he has shut himself down emotionally in order to serve. With each story, it becomes clearer that Lord Darlingon is an easily manipulated man, out of his league in world politics but insistent on playing the role of peacemaker -- even when it is no longer appropriate or wise. When his friendship with a woman leads him to firing two Jewish maids, it foreshadows his attempts to influence the British government into appeasing Hitler and the Nazis at any cost. He goes so far as to say that the U.K. should perhaps follow Germany's lead. "Germany and Italy have set their houses in order by acting . . . See what strong leadership can do if it's allowed to act. None of this universal suffrage nonsense." Stevens unwittingly proves Lord Darlington's point for him -- he trusts Lord Darlington's judgment as blindly as any German trusted Hitler's, believing that "people like him" are too ignorant to make the decisions that must be made and following the great man contentedly -- and thus making a bad decision. When it comes to Miss Kenton, here too his perception is kept in check by his need for professionalism and dignity. His repeated emphasis on their "professional" relationship and his desire to reconnect with her as a "professional" only highlight the extent to which he will go to suppress his real feelings -- and the very real possibilities that existed. In life and love, Stevens realises he has been avoiding both. In the end, however, there is hope. After sending Miss Kenton home, back to her husband, Stevens turns to "bantering"; that is, engaging with people without resorting to pre-programmed professional phrases --in short, truly interacting with his fellow humans. "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." Indeed it does. One doesn't have to be a butler in service to others to use the remains of his or her own day to look back and appraise where one went wrong and where there is still room for hope. This is an incredible journey toward understanding, written in a concise, spare manner that fits perfectly with the character of Stevens. Few writers have the gift of saying so much in so little space. More should learn it. Diane L. Schirf, 18 November 2001.
Rating:
Summary: Peerless, timeless, writing
Review: The more I read this novel, the more impressive it becomes. The sheer control that Ishiguro has over his prose is a lesson to writers everywhere - truly remarkable. And one of the very few great novels that has a film adaptation which almost does it justice. Will this novel overshadow the rest of Ishiguro's career? It might, but I truly hope it doesn't. I recently read Adam Parkes's book about this novel, and I can recommend it highly. He's particularly good on Ishiguro's influences.
Rating: 
Summary: A strong character study, but...
Review: Ishiguro's Remains of the Day is a strong study in masterful characterization. In the always professional Stevens, Ishiguro crafts a convincing character that serves as a strong instrument to convey the observations on the human condition that he wishes to expound. Stevens gladly sacrifices his personal life (such as it is) in order to provide good service to Lord Darlington, and finds dignity and purpose in "serving those great gentlemen at the hub of this world." In his unstinting professionalism Stevens is oblivious to the overtures of Miss Kenton, Darlington Hall's housekeeper. Ultimately, Stevens questions his loyalty to the perfidious Lord Darlington and regrets his decision to ignore Miss Kenton's romantic advances. While the tone is rather gloomy up until the very end, Remains of the Day is actually and uplifting and reaffirming tale. Stevens, while never breaking his buttoned-up professional character, realizes that he must make time for himself and forgive himself for allowing his personal affairs to fall into a state of desuetude. Remains of the Day falls short in dealing with the other characters, none of which exhibit the strength and believability of Stevens. The backward-looking narration style is effective in emphasizing Stevens's increasingly introspective nature, but Ishiguro is unable to build other strong characters to interact with Stevens. Furthermore, the fact that Stevens has his epiphany with a stranger is a strong break in character, and proves to be an ineffective climax. Overall, Ishiguro crafts a good, but not by any means great, read in Remains of the Day.
Rating:
Summary: So beautiful
Review: For anyone who saw the movie version of this wonderful book and were less than impressed, I would highly suggest reading Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. It captures so much more of the emotion, the longing then the movie ever could. Don't get me wrong, I adore both Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins, but found something lacking in the portrayal. This book is simple, beautiful written and achingly emotional. A real must read!
Rating:
Summary: Suddenly, it is already evening
Review: Stevens is a butler so professional and refined that, on a week's drive through the countryside, people assume he is a lord. In his account of the trip, he begins with a meditation on what it is that distinguishes a truly great butler from the rest, and the writing opens up beautifully into memories of his friendship with Miss Kenton, the housemaid, and some cracks of doubt about his previous master, a man who was deeply involved in "great affairs" before World War II. The prose is impeccable and beautiful, written entirely in the voice of this fascinating character without a hint of the dramatic irony that becomes stronger and stronger, until the novel's heartbreaking conclusion when, all at once, evening has already arrived.
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