The Remains of the Day
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This book is so good in such an unexpected way. If you had told me I’d be slurping up prose from a butler in England in the 1920s, I’d be like hmmm, probably not. My husband saw the cover from afar and said, “That book looks a thousand years old.” But it was fascinating! It’s written in first-person from the perspective of Mr. Stevens, who struggles to find his place post-war, so he reminisces about his days butlering (not a word but should be) for Lord Darlington, an important English figure during WWI and WWII. As head butler for a politically pivotal boss, Stevens witnessed historic events without being directly involved, and his perspective is particularly unique because he takes his job super seriously. He philosophizes about what makes a butler truly great and his memories of entertaining guests like Winston Churchill usually involve concern over whether or not the silverware was properly polished. As a reader, I’m not only interested in his tales, I’m also drawn to the way he goes about his life, prioritizing a lost art of dignity and sacrifice. And this prioritization sometimes comes at great cost, because his stories involve a background romance that never came to fruition. Netflix needs to pick this shit up.
Overall, this book has a lot going for it, but my favorite aspect is probably its commitment to tone. Mr. Stevens’ character is so clear that he jumps off the page. I can picture exactly who he is and I can appreciate his story that much more. Furthermore, the author, Kazuo Ishiguro, moves seamlessly through time, jumping from Mr. Stevens’ flashbacks to the present day. This was one of the skills evident in a previous Ishiguro book I reviewed- Never Let Me Go. The Remains of the Day receives 5 out of 5 flames and I think that people will be surprised at how good it is. When you hear “butler”, “1920s Europe”, “Lord Darlington”, etc., it’s giving *stuffy* and *outdated*, especially if you’re not into early 21st century literature; however, this story offers unique insight into a unique experience, and it blooms into something much more than just butlering.
