The Remains of the Day review

I promise that as you read our The Remains of the Day review, I will not reveal the plot. Just like you, I hate when reviewers reveal the twists-and-turns of a good book.

In fact, most of the synopses that I’ve read about this book have missed a few of the beautiful subtleties contained in this brilliant novel. So, instead of focusing on the plot in The Remains of the Day review, I’ll write a little bit about the important characters, and the even more important issues that are alluded to by the author.

Despite winning many prestigious literary awards after it was first published in 1990, I’ve only recently read this captivating book. So, what took me so long?

I guess my excuse for not reading the book earlier was that I had seen the 1993 dramatic film production first. It was playing on one of the cable movie channels, and unfortunately, I found it to be a mostly boring, pretentious movie.

Maybe it was because I was 30 years younger, or maybe I had found more interesting things to watch as I flipped back-and-forth between other programs. Either way, the movie just did not interest me, even though I thought there were a few good scenes that made me shed a tear-or-two.

Now that I’m much older today, maybe I should give the movie another shot.

The author, Kazuo Ishiguro, has a deceptively subdued, but emotive style of writing. His narrative, beginning from the first page, had a spark of magic that really touched my emotions.

As I read each exquisitely worded sentence, I felt that I was the butler. Even though the thoughts that the butler conveyed were sternly rigid, I could sense some of the deep emotional conflicts he was feeling.

Those subtle complexities that shaped this man, Mr. Stevens, as he carried out his gentlemanly duties, really grabbed ahold of me. They are the same kind of emotions that affect us all as we grapple with the complexities of life.

The Remains of the Day takes place prior to World War II, when fascism was spreading across Europe.

I was surprised how well the author communicated the observations of the butler. For instance, Mr. Stevens observed how fascism had seduced otherwise good people into its web of hatred and nationalism.

I don’t want to reveal too much about the romance, but whenever people get together, there is bound to be some romance! And, there was romance in The Remains of the Day! However, because of Mr. Stevens’ repressed personality, the romance was subtle and restrained.

At the same time, the romantic banter and the repressed passions between the butler and the housekeeper were very poignant.

The poignancy, along with the restrained yearnings to connect, is what makes this novel so powerful. I almost can’t describe the feelings I had as I read the butler’s recollections, because they corollate with my own feelings. And, you can probably identify with Mr. Stevens, too.

The story was sad, but it was also very emotionally evocative at the same time. That’s the crazy thing about this book, and demonstrates how well it was written.

In one way, I could especially identify with Mr. Stevens. He felt that he didn’t know how to converse with people in a light-hearted way.

So, he studied and practiced how to banter, or how to carry on light-hearted conversations. This was especially true when an American bought Darlington Hall and then moved in.

One way Mr. Stevens learned how to banter was by reading romance novels. That’s why he was so embarrassed and tried to hide his books from the housekeeper who secretly adored him.

Because, Mr. Stevens had deep feelings for this woman, also . That was the whole reason why he was trying to learn how to banter—he wanted a relationship with her, but he didn’t know how to take the socially appropriate steps to make that connection.

And, that’s all I’m going to say about that. I hope I haven’t already revealed too much of the storyline.

Just like the rest of the novel, the ending was so good, yet so restrained. The author kept its powerful poignancy hidden beneath the surface, so at times I felt I was only getting brief glimpses into the butler’s feelings.

But those brief glimpses into the butler’s feelings and his soul, which he so carefully camouflaged, is what I found so moving and so evocative about this novel.

In today’s age of thoughtless, ignorant tweets, and rude, boisterous politicians, this book, along with the main protagonist, stand out in stark contrast. At the end, the butler shows the reader what ‘dignity’ really is, and once you’ve read the book, you’ll understand what I’m talking about!

TAKEAWAYS:

I believe you’ll like this book just as much as I did. In fact, the book was much better than the movie!

Okay, so I confess, I really loved this book. It was such a surprise and such a delight to read. If you enjoy thoughtful characters, and evocative descriptions, along with historical revelations, then The Remains of the Day is the book for you!

In addition to The Remains of the Day, the author has also written Klara and the Sun, another one of my favorite books! If you get a chance, check that book out—I think you’ll love that one, too.

Thanks for reading The Remains of the Day review! If you’ve read the book, please share you thoughts in the comments section below!

Content and photos by Doug Martin and Our Book Banter