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The Remains of the Day
 
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The Remains of the Day (Paperback)

by Kazuo Ishiguro (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (57 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber; New edition edition (19 Jul 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140144323
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571154913
  • ASIN: 0571154913
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.6 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 14,606 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #8 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > I > Ishiguro, Kazuo

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second world war, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him--oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking, beautifully crafted novel-- namely, Stevens' own ability to allow some bit of life-affirming love into his tightly repressed existence. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
An elderly butler is on a five-day motoring trip through the West Country in the 1950s. The climax of his journey is to be a reunion with his former housekeeper. This 1989 Booker Prize-winner attempts to capture a period in British history and draw a portrait of a man in old age.

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Customer Reviews

57 Reviews
5 star:
 (45)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (57 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book - surely among the best, 9 April 2007
By Ms. Rebecca Hancox "Becky" (Pontefract, West Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Remains of the Day (Paperback)
I bought this book a long while ago for a reason I don't remember, it must have been a recommendation, but it has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. The other day I was looking for something to read and I went for The Remains of the Day. This book is a masterpiece. Beautifully written with intriguing characters I could have started this book over the moment I finished the last page. What I find most interesting is how the emotions of the repressed central character Stevens are only revealed by others reaction to him, he remains stoic and "dignified" to the end, despite ultimately coming realise he has wasted his life serving the misguided Lord Darlington. Kazuo Ishiguro has the most amazing grasp of the upstairs/downstairs England of yesteryear and I cannot recommend this beautiful and moving novel highly enough - fully deserving of its Booker Prize (not something to be said about them all!)
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, 6 Jul 2006
By Catfish "Ania" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Remains of the Day (Paperback)
It's amazing that it is a Japanese writer who has written a novel which portrays the essence of Englishness. It reads extremely well and the first person narration is a wonderful device, resulting in a lot of irony and self-delusion. The butler who narrates the entire story is an amazing creation, he totally gets on my nerves, but I think this is how Ishiguro intended the reader to respond. He is not a man without faults no matter how hard he tries to convince himself otherwise, and Ishiguro creates a wonderful contrast between what he says and what the reader thinks of him. If you're looking for a novel which explores character, memory and nostalgia, this will be the perfect read.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the 20th Century's best novels, 30 Jan 2001
By A Customer
This book has the ability not only to make you feel deeply moved by its main protagonists but to re-evaluate your own life, relationships and values. It explores the break down in communications between individuals of "opposite" sex, social class and nationality and the pressure to conform to moral, social and political standards at the expense of natural feelings. The hero Stevens, a butler, represses his feelings so much that he cannot or will not admit his attraction to housekeeper Miss Kenton. His obsession with the "role" of butler and archaic notion of "Dignity" creates a barrier between them which neither is able to break down. The frustration for the reader is that the truth is there so plain to see, narrated by Stevens himself, and there are many opportunities for them to connect; when Steven's father dies; when Miss Kenton receives a proposal of marriage, but the hard shell of reserve the butler builds around himself never cracks. Tradition and reputation remain more important than his happiness. Meanwhile this small drama is played out against the backdrop of the British government appeasement of Hitler's burgeoning German Nazi party just before WWII, where, paralleling the difficulties in communication within the domestic staff, His Lordship tries to bring European leaders together for the best, but misguided, reasons. There are so many powerful episodes and touching scenes - when Stevens' demeanour causes him to be mistaken for His Lordship, when he is asked to his embarassment to explain the facts of life to His Lordship's betrothed nephew and when he is quizzed by one of his employer's politician guests as a representative sample of the working classes. Each of these confirm that he is a dying breed of dinosaur from a feudal age, an unquestioning and naive bond slave in a world turned sour and cynical and how ineffectual as a human being. As storm clouds gather over Europe, political lies and intrigue mirror the confusion in Stevens' household and relationships and both he and his employer ultimately and tragically suffer from an inability to recognise the truth. Behind the facade of dignified gentility, and a veneer of unwavering formality, the inner turmoil within the political arena, the house, the staff and Steven's own conscience make this an intense and absorbing read on many levels. He is an intensely maddening and yet touchingly likeable character. Absolutely fascinating and totally realistic. A top ten novel of the 20th century.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Contemporary Masterpiece
One of the best novels I have read, contemporary or not. A story of a wasted life and the justification for it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Odelay In Space

5.0 out of 5 stars Dignity and denial - the noble art of butlering
It has been said that many of Ishiguro's novels are about `blindness' and it was with `blindness' in mind that I read `Remains of the Day', also a fine film. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Demob Happy

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Enjoyable
Remains of the Day is Kazuo Ishiguro's third novel. It is set in the beautiful countryside of Southern England but also in Stevens', the Butler and narrator's past. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Chris Hicks

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Greatest Novels In British Literature..
Many of the best novels have essential qualities, they are thrilling, moving, highly readable and beautifully written. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Artistic-Fantastic

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
I bought this book after seeing the film version starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Most unusually the film is as good as the book and they're both brilliant. Read more
Published 8 months ago by John G. Millar

5.0 out of 5 stars Faultless
In short, yes! To all the articulately phrased 5 star reviews above. The Remains of the Day is one of the 20th century's great books. Absolutely essential on the bookshelf. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Alba

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book of all time
I read this book on a long plane journey back from Hong Kong when I was 18. Though I had been in Asia for 9 months, I was immediately thrust back into the pre-world war II of... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Peach Pear Plum

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, touching, heart-breaking. Simply wonderful.
I have read this book four or five times now. I recently purchased the book again. The brilliance of The Remains of the Day is illustrated by the fact that you can read it... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Marco

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and beautiful
It was an impulse read after seeing the movie. What a dear book! It's been a long time since I really enjoyed reading and I read a lot but what I mean is deriving almost physical... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Trionon

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read
I read this book as part of my university course and really enjoyed it. the main character, Stevens, is flawed and he does not even realise it. Read more
Published 14 months ago by L. M. Satherley

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