Introduction By Kazuo Ishiguro — Imagined NarrationWhat makes someone irreplaceable?Is it our memories, our personalities, the way we speak and laugh? Or is it something that cannot be reproduced, no matter how sophisticated technology becomes?In Klara and the Sun, an Artificial Friend cares for a seriously ill girl named Josie. Klara notices things others … [Read more...] about Klara and the Sun Themes: Love, Faith, and Human Worth
Kazuo Ishiguro
Klara and the Sun Explained: What Makes Us Human?
Introduction by KlaraWhen I first met Josie, I was standing near a store window, watching the Sun.I had been created to be an Artificial Friend. My purpose was to observe, learn, and provide companionship to a child who would choose me. I knew there were newer models with greater abilities, and I understood that customers had many things to consider before making … [Read more...] about Klara and the Sun Explained: What Makes Us Human?
The Man Who Never Took the Day Off: A Modern Ishiguro Story
Introduction What happens when being needed becomes the reason you never live your own life?For thirty-eight years, Daniel Mercer has served billionaire businessman Richard Vale as his executive assistant, fixer, confidant, and most dependable employee.Daniel misses dinners, relationships, vacations, and eventually his father’s final hours. Yet he never … [Read more...] about The Man Who Never Took the Day Off: A Modern Ishiguro Story
The Remains of the Day Explained by Leading Ishiguro Scholars
Introduction Why does Stevens remember so much of his life accurately, yet seem unable to recognize what those memories mean?That question lies at the heart of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day.In this second imaginary conversation, five leading Ishiguro scholars — Cynthia F. Wong, Brian W. Shaffer, Kathleen Wall, Steven Connor, and Barry Lewis — … [Read more...] about The Remains of the Day Explained by Leading Ishiguro Scholars
The Remains of the Day Explained Through Its Characters
Introduction What happens when you reach the later years of your life and realize that the qualities you were proudest of may have kept you from truly living?Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day follows Stevens, an English butler who has devoted his life to dignity, loyalty, and service. He rarely questions his employer, rarely expresses emotion, and … [Read more...] about The Remains of the Day Explained Through Its Characters
Hateship Friendship Courtship Loveship Marriage explained
Why Alice Munro’s Ordinary Lives Feel Extraordinary?Most of us spend our lives believing we understand people.We meet someone for a few minutes and quietly place them into categories.Successful.Shy.Intelligent.Difficult.Kind.Hopeless.Reliable.Ordinary.Then life surprises us.The quiet woman becomes unexpectedly courageous.The confident man quietly falls apart.A … [Read more...] about Hateship Friendship Courtship Loveship Marriage explained
Never Let Me Go Analysis: An Imaginary Conversation
What if Kathy, Tommy, Ruth, Miss Lucy, and Miss Emily could finally answer the questions readers have debated since Never Let Me Go was published? Some stories end when the final page is turned. Others begin their deepest conversation only after the reader closes the book.Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go has remained one of the most discussed novels of the … [Read more...] about Never Let Me Go Analysis: An Imaginary Conversation
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day with Mentors & Friends
Introduction Kazuo by Ishiguro When I think back to The Remains of the Day, I see not only the butler, Stevens, but also the many voices that shaped the book behind the scenes. Angela Carter, my fierce mentor, who never let me hide behind politeness. Malcolm Bradbury, who insisted stories must also wrestle with history. Deborah Rogers, who believed in my … [Read more...] about Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day with Mentors & Friends