The Remains of the Day

This review can also be found at SFF Book Review

Being my first Ishiguro novel, I knew nothing going into this. People had warned me of its slow pace, its quite prose, but I honestly didn't expect a book barely 300 pages thick to take me this long to read. Still, I can't say I didn't enjoy it. I might even be tempted to pick up other books by this author.

In 1956, Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall, decides to take a motoring trip through the West Country. The six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past of Stevens and England, a past that takes in fascism, two world wars and an unrealised love between the butler and his housekeeper. Ishiguro's dazzling novel is a sad and humorous love story, a meditation on the condition of modern man, and an elegy for England at a time of acute change.

Fans of a good period drama will surely love this. If you're at all interested in the downstairs part of Downton Abbey, this is a book that, in exquisite prose, gives you an insight into a servant's life that you simply can't get from TV. This is a very slow-paced, quite book, that comes alive not through action or even “things happening” but has a flow to it that I find hard to describe. I had a hard time getting into the story at first but once I relaxed into the style, it was a revel from then onwards.

Stevens is a fascinating protagonist. Every aspect of his private life is secondary to his being a great butler. His own family, the chance for love, his health, and his opinions – nothing matters if they obstruct, in any way, his master's comfort. He goes into some detail describing what makes a butler great and it is in his memories and musings that we see not only how deep his devotion is but we find out why he chose to live a life of truly passionate service. Stevens believes that, in being a great butler and providing an important gentlemen with as many comforts as he can, he helps a little bit in shaping the course of the world. Realising how small the part he plays is only makes him prouder to be part of it at all.

There are a few side characters here, and they all feel very fleshed-out and real. But the focus lies clearly on Stevens – and I wouldn't have had it any other way. While reading, my inner psychoanalyst was rejoicing at such an interesting subject. Reading about and understanding Stevens' subtlety was a pleasure that I didn't expect. His peculiar relationship with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton, is described in even quieter tones but gives more room for thought.

“Perhaps it is indeed time I begin to look at this whole matter of bantering more enthusiastically. After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a fooish thing to indulge in – particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth.”

In short, this is the story of a man who has devoted his life to his vocation and, looking back at it, ponders about the remains of the day – and whether it was all worth it.

THE GOOD: Beautiful language, an insight into an old school butler's life, and one of the most intriguing protagonists I've ever read about.
THE BAD: Takes a long time to get going and stays very subdued. Nothing for impatient readers or fans of lots of action.
THE VERDICT: A touching and magnificently written work of literature that will stay with me for quite some time.

RATING: 8,5/10 Quite excellent

essentially downton abbey, but a deeper look into the house staff's life in an estate owned by a politically involved lord. i hadn't expected there to be such “controversy” over lord darlington, so it was a pleasant surprise and an interesting read. i'm not much of a history buff, but i found the historical references to be nuanced and subtle enough to be rather believable. also explores the stiff house staff culture, the utter lack of emotion in some, and the devotion to the master in few. really recommended for fans of downton abbey who cared more for the house staff than the family itself.

I don't agree that this work is a “masterpiece of tone”—but it is damn close to it. I only give it 4 stars because I was left feeling I wanted something.. grander. A bigger message. It didn't wow me in the way that I expect 5 stars books to. But maybe I'm being naive, because it does utterly succeed at its smaller scope.

My favorite thing about this book is that it focuses on elderly people and I recognize how few stories we tell (and even fewer I consume) are about them. There should be more and this is a good starting place for sure.

No one on their death bed professes to wishing they'd worked more, eh, Stevens?

Beautifully written and contemplative, this book suffers from perhaps being a tad too much in the head of the protagonist. While we're given a bittersweet plot payoff, the entire book built to that and it was to be expected.

The giant blocks of text that serve as flashbacks or detailed explanations of objects or settings tend to be more grating than beautiful the longer the book goes on. At times these reprieves can be useful to get into the mind of Stevens and how he views the world. Other times? It's belaboring a point that's loud and clear already.

I enjoyed this well enough, though.

I am so confused by this book. People whose literary tastes I deeply respect have suggested this book and it did so little for me. The main character feels like a caricature of a type and not even after hundreds of pages of being in his head does he feel any more like a real human. I think he's supposed to be endearing to us and somewhat tragic, and yet he is none of these things. This single dimension character does not grow, does not learn, and does not reflect.

There is a narrative device employed in this book which is fairly pointless. In its essence, we the reader are served the musings and stories of the past from an old English butler as he takes a trip through the English countryside to see a female coworker from his past. Along the road trip, his remembered stories move chronologically and tell us about the history between the Wars as experienced by him, a butler in the house of an influential British gentleman. And yet, this framing serves no narrative or thematic purpose and makes little sense for how the protagonist's recollections unfold. His stories from the past are entirely disconnected from what's going on around him on the road trip, and there's no reason why it would take six days for him to think of and share with us the story of his former employer's ruin and disrepute at the onset of WWII.

The supposed romantic “tension” with the female lead here is absurd because there is no reason why any other human would want to be with the main character. And so the book's big “reveal” that she has had surges of love for him throughout their life around one another sounds more like dysfunction on her part rather than wistful romance of what could be.

One person who suggested this book to me called it beautiful. I've got no idea what book they were reading. Some quaint descriptors here or there, and very “clear” prose, sure–but beautiful? Nope. There is no poetry in these pages. Straightforward meandering descriptions.

I suppose the book is meant to be a witness to the loss of innocence and sense of propriety and “dignity” (a word/theme brought up with little subtlety throughout) as England moved into its post-empire, post-war self. It wants us to see the naivety of the “old ways” and mourn the savagery of realism and “growing up” to human nature on the world stage. And yet, the book, its narrator, its structure, its language, and its “romance” fail to make this hit home.

“...try to make the best of what remains of my day.”

I really liked the author's use of an unreliable narrator in telling this wonderful story. Having to read between the lines and gauge the emotions and intentions of the people around Stevens lent another level to the book that really made it a compelling read. The entirety of the book is Stevens' musings about what it means to be a great butler, the price of duty, and how hard it really is to tell a good joke, and while the format would probably have annoyed me in any other book, the author manages to pull it off in a way that's compelling and engaging. The humorous bits sprinkled in are fantastic as well.

This was just sort of quietly heartbreaking. I can say it was a good read; I don't know if I can say I enjoyed it.

It's the story of Stevens: master butler and relic of a bygone era, who served an English lord through two World Wars before the house, and what staff remain, transferred to a new American owner. He's a consummate professional, suborning all personal matters to the demands and dignities of his role.

On a rare – possibly only – vacation, Stevens finally has the leisure to reflect on his life. At first concerned wholly with his profession, his thoughts wander and he begins to peel back the years of his life, and layer upon layer of self- deception.

Often, Stevens' thoughts reveal to us as readers facts that he does not yet and might never realize himself. Front and center is his former master of the house, Lord Darlington. Stevens idolizes Darlington: as a butler he considers it his highest calling to serve a man so central to the halls of power in England. He considers Darlington above reproach, and as Darlington does foolish or even reprehensible things, he either makes excuses for the man, or else denies that it's even his place to judge. The most obvious is Darlington's hand in international politics. We slowly discover that Darlington is a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings; rather than acknowledge these failings, Stevens decides that Darlington knows better than his detractors. After all, Darlington is a great man.

This is hardly Darlington's only misstep. Darlington orders Stevens to dismiss the Jewish members of staff; the housekeeper, Miss Kenton, objects strenuously, and demands that Stevens recognize the immorality of the order, but Stevens resolves the cognitive dissonance by recusing himself from considering the matter. It is not his to reason: Darlington has made his wishes clear, and there's nothing more to say.

Miss Kenton, of course, is the other central figure in Stevens' life. She is representative of all that Stevens has failed to do: directly, as a potential romantic interest clearly interested in him as he is in her, and indirectly, as the conscience Stevens will not permit himself.

The motoring trip, as Stevens' first real extended time away from Darlington Hall, is a horrorshow of these revelations for Stevens. He slowly realizes that he's wasted his life: he pegged the entire value thereof to his service to a great man, only to discover in his twilight years – when his professional capabilities are beginning to desert him, as his father's did – that that man wasn't so great after all. There's still so much he hasn't come to grips with when the story draws to a close: his feelings for Mrs Benn (neé Kenton), the fundamental insufficiency of his world view – after all, he still has the same slavish devotion to his profession, he merely regrets the decisions of his previous employer.

By the end Stevens has grasped some of the inadequacies of the actors in his worldview, but come precious little closer to grasping the inadequacy of the worldview itself. Crushing.

Told in the first person narrative through the eyes of the perfect English butler who served in Darlington Hall, the home of an influential master who hosted many political gatherings, throughout the years of World War II. Stevens, our narrator dedicates most of his thoughts to the meaning of dignity and greatness, and fails to give a second thought to anything other than his work. Through the character of his coworker, Ms. Kenton, we are able to see just how much Stevens is missing out on in the world. Kenton marries and leaves the service, while Stevens stays with the house to serve a new master, essentially a piece of furniture. Will Stevens come to realize that he has thrown his life away serving a man who isn't as honorable as he believed? Now that it's over, how will he spend the remainder of his life?

This is definitely worthy of its Man Booker Prize. I recommend it to people who enjoy great things.

Was recommended this book by a dear friend and I'm so glad I was. When I started, I found it hard to anticipate where the whole thing was going (not in a bad way, it just kept me on my toes), but as I read on, the sorrow of it all really started to creep up on me, only to culminate in tears during the final chapter. The tragedy of it lies in all that is unsaid. 

Well, I was really infuriated with Stevens when he acted coldly with Kenton after she told him about her engagement, I still have my doubts about his romantic feelings towards her runs how deep as there was no definitive response after Kenton's confession other than he said his heart broke and his teary eyes(which I don even know if it's because he was talking about his old post). I don't think wasted his life away though maybe if his self-realization was prevalent when his life was at the morning stage then he would've been supposedly much more of an original person not only someone's employee. The title was very nice, by that I mean really really nice. Oh well, Mr. Darlington was a Nazi sympathizer... I don't know how to feel about this as I've not encountered his personality other than Steven's vision. The portrayal of the aftermaths of ww1 and ww2 behind the life of a butler in a grand mansion, and how little it affects him personally is also depicted here quite nicely.

My rating is 4 stars.

The novel is beautifully written, entertaining and funny. The way it tells the story encourages the reader to think about it and question the subjectivity and unreliability of the narrator. It follows Mr Stevens, who is so devoted to his work that he doesn't appear to be human. And reading a story in such a perspective forces the reader to think about human behaviour and why someone would act a certain way, as Mr Stevens does not understand the people around him.


I truly enjoyed reading this novel, which tells the story of an English butler, Mr Stevens, who decides to go visit Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall. The novel discusses ‘dignity' which is crucial to being a ‘great butler' to Mr Stevens and ‘banter', a problem he is struggling to solve and master. Also, it touches upon the restrictions due to his profession, which keep him busy all the time that e.g. he doesn't think it is favourable to marry and his loyalty to Lord Darlington who surrounded himself with incriminating people and did some bad decisions because of it. Additionally, it shows the incapability of Mr Stevens to understand Miss Kenton's behaviour. He insists on having a professional relationship with her, which often crosses the line and they develop a friendship that he doesn't understand. Mr Stevens is always surprised when Miss Kenton acts as if they're friends and pushes her away. Due to the story being told completely in Mr Stevens' perspective, it is very subjective and as he does not understand her behaviour, the reader doesn't as well. But when reading between the lines, one can see that Mr Stevens cannot grasp the prospect of love. Only in the end does he express that he cares for Miss Kenton (Mrs Benns) and shares some advice, which is always useful.

You will not find a character who feels more real, a character who is not likely to resemble anyone who will ever meet in modern life than the main character of this novel. He is a classic English butler, deeply flawed, completely devoted to his job to the exclusion of family or friends, and he is unable to feel for others and he has trouble interpreting others' emotions. Nevertheless, the reader falls in love with him, and can't help feeling strongly compassionate for his lost opportunities.

It's the novel that comes closest for me of hitting that five star ranking, a story with wonderful, rich characters amid the confusing time before and after World War II in England, set among those who work as servants in the most affluent of estates.

Mr. Stevens ist Butler auf Darlington Hall. Er lebt die Prinzipien eines Butlers: mit wuerde, zurueckhaltung dient er seinem herrn, unterdrueckt jegliche persoenlichen gefuehle oder unzufriedenheiten. Ms. Kenton ist die Haushaltsueberseherin, sie versucht sich ihm zu naehern, aber Mr. Stevens starrheit verhindert alles. Sie heiratet und verlaesst das haus. 20 Jahre spaeter macht sich Mr. Stevens auf eine Autotour, einem Brief von ihr folgend, der ihn veranlasst zu denken, sie wuerde gerne zurueckkehren. Beim Treffen spricht sie zum ersten mal aus, dass sie sich ein leben mit ihm vorgestellt hatte, mit der zeit aber ihren ehemann lieben gelernt hat. Das bricht ihm das herz, jedoch nicht seine haltung, schnell fokusiert er darauf, seinen lebensabend wuerdevoll als butler zu vollenden.

There are certain books that require a certain depth of experience to fully appreciate, and Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day is undoubtedly one of them.

Ishiguro adeptly taps into our collective romanticised perception of the English butler, revealing the inherent harm in such idealization. Through clean, precise prose, like a butler's, Ishiguro establishes two central themes: Lord Darlington's disreputable sympathies and Stevens' unexpressed affection for Miss Kenton, showing through both the consequences of failing to challenge societal norms, urging readers not to succumb to stagnation as Stevens does, shackled by his steadfast adherence to notions of ‘dignity' and ‘duty.' A slightly hopeful ending suggests that even in the “evening” of one's life, missed opportunities can pave the way for embracing the present.

One can only hope to have Steven's courage when confronted with the necessity of shedding our misguided beliefs, of which I know I hold too many. However, let us earnestly hope that we encounter books like this sooner, so we can heed their call to action and reevaluate our convictions and choices in time. Fun dinner-table question: What erroneous beliefs have you mistakenly anchored your life upon, only to later realize the need to let them go?

Book Review - Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiquro - historical fiction about an English Butler reflecting back on his life of service to one of the great houses in England. Won a Booker Prize when it came out, nominated for an Audiobook award this year. Great for fans of Downton Abbey between seasons.

Click through for the full book review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/remains-of-the-day/

The funny thing is that this whole book is so perfectly encapsulated in this Dostoevsky quote:
“To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”

However, I can't agree with that.

The book, from a literary perspective, is absolutely outstanding. The writing is so crisp and clear. In other books, I often skip some passages that just lose my interest (cough, Dune, cough), but I felt engaged at all times while reading The Remains of the Day. The character development is just as phenomenal as Dostoevsky's. Emotional, moving, etc. etc. To put icing on the cake, the historical background related in the book made the amateur World War II historian in me exceedingly happy.

The only issue I have with this book is, well, its core message, as so perfectly summarized by Dostoevsky a century before it was written. Of course, if you see no issue at all with the quote, then by all means this is a must-read. Nonetheless, to me, the quote is nothing short of a fraud, however much I may profess my profound admiration for Dostoevsky. For there is no such thing as “one's own way.” “Your way” is already determined by your upbringing, by your nature. You are a deterministic function of your environment. As far as Stevens knew, all the way until that last evening in the end of the book, he was following his own way. He could never have known better. Still, I am glad he recognized that it's no good wallowing in melancholy for supposedly “failing to follow one's own way.”

Even though I rate it four stars out of philosophical disagreements, I can heartily recommend this book to anyone, whether you have such disagreements or not. As a final note, I imagine that the book is far more touching to those older than I am (having read The Remains of the Day at age 21). I will certainly be re-reading this book at least every decade of my life.