The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0394251342 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Megmac of Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on 4/9/2015
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5 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Megmac from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, April 9, 2015
I liked this but not really sure what the fuss is about.

Journal Entry 2 by Joika at Oxford, Oxfordshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 14, 2015
I have read one Kazuo Ishiguro and liked it a lot so this caught my eye at the book buffet table in the Convention. Thank you!

Journal Entry 3 by Joika at Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa / Norra Österbotten Finland on Tuesday, May 24, 2016
I have to say that after having read the first half of the novel I didn't have every trust in Ishiguro's marvellous skills and style but towards the end I was more and more impressed. You have to grow into the story and let it set the pace. You have to give time to it and that's probably a great challenge for many, at least for me it was. Life is profound and complex and so is this novel. Complex in a way that some things are so difficult to express by words but you can try to convey the message indirectly.

There are so many things it would be nice to discuss but there are readers to come so better not spoil the atmosphere. Hierarchy, dignity, freedom, manipulation. I think even Ishiguro manipulated me as a reader; I trusted the protagonist's opinion but his view of the world was quite narrow and his explanations coloured by his own beliefs. That is of course the case with any people but at least I tend to forget it while looking the world through the eyes of a very forceful storyteller/protagonist. Ishiguro did the same thing for me in When We Were Orphans but it was more striking then than now.

The butler's profession is really an interesting one. The butler in this story was so much alike the one in the tv series Downton Abbey but the one in Downton Abbey was more humane than Mr. Stevens. I have many times read newspaper articles about professions which are no longer needed in future and came to think about them while reading about Mr. Stevens. He was so committed to the employer and .. well, what a waste. He would have been totally devastated if he had known the future aspects of the butler's profession. There is just something in the butler's job that I am interested in. Next I will have to read about Jeeves to get a perhaps different aspect.


Journal Entry 4 by Joika at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Released 7 yrs ago (5/25/2016 UTC) at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland

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EVK-catch off to Tampere. :)

Journal Entry 5 by wingem64wing at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thank you, the book arrived today. Have read it in the past but if I'm not mistaken, it was in Finnish.

Journal Entry 6 by wingem64wing at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Sunday, July 22, 2018
I have read this one in Finnish before but somehow I felt that I managed to get more out of the original. The characters came to life better when they were speaking in English (nothing wrong with the Finnish translation, but there are things that are very difficult to convey in translation). Stevens was quite a tragic character; the sense of duty and the unbreakable loyalty to the employer guided both his professional and personal life. Nothing could tear the mask off his face and the best of the House was always the most important thing. It was kind Stevens was a side character of his own life. I liked this one a lot, it was a pleasure to read it.

Journal Entry 7 by wingem64wing at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Thursday, September 24, 2020

Released 3 yrs ago (9/24/2020 UTC) at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland

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Kirja jatkoi matkaansa seuraavalle lukijalle.

Journal Entry 8 by wingPaulanniwing at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, September 27, 2020
The book arrived, thank you em64! This will be my first Ishiguro and I am looking forward to reading it.

Journal Entry 9 by wingPaulanniwing at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, July 11, 2021
My first Ishiguro was not a disappointment, on the contrary. I liked it a lot and admire his way of creating the characters and the atmosphere. Great writing!

Journal Entry 10 by wingPaulanniwing at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Friday, July 16, 2021

Released 2 yrs ago (7/16/2021 UTC) at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland

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The book was picked from the Alphabet VBB and goes next to Scotland. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 11 by Ythan at Ellon, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Arrived safe and sound.

I chose this book from the Alphabet VBB - Round 19. I picked this one as it is on the 1001 List, I've also rewatched the film version since I chose this, so I have a very good idea of what the book will be about. Can't resist a film with Emma Thompson in it or Anthony Hopkins.

Also, thanks for the lovely bookmark and post card. The post card reminds me of a children's magazine & TV series I read/watched in the '90s called "The Animals of Farthing Wood".

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