The Remains of the Day

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publisher: Vintage 1989

This is a story of an English Butler who is trying to hold onto old standards in a changing world.  His heroes are his own father—a former butler himself, and some famous butlers form famous mansions.  He has been trying to live up to the standards set by them and perhaps, improve on them.  He has been on a mission to be one of the great butlers while being oblivious to events happening around him.  He has devoted all his time to his job and did not realized or was haughty to acknowledge, that he is losing people who care about him.  The mansion he worked at has been sold to a rich American and the new owner wants to keep him (Mr. Stevens) as the butler of the house.  The new owner spends most of his time in US and lends his new Ford to Mr. Stevens to go West to take a break from his job.  While driving to meet Miss. Kenton, Stevens reminisces back on his life, lost opportunities, and his former boss Load Darlington.

This is a well written book with exquisite details.  The description of the events of the day when Mr. Stevens’ father died is my favorite.  It took me several days to get there, while reading several other books, but after that event, I finished the book in one reading.  Let me give Mr. Stevens’ reaction when he gets to know that his father died as a teaser.

Miss Kenton was still standing out in the hall where I had first spotted her.  As I emerged, she walked silently towards the staircase, a curious lack of urgency in her manner.  Then she turned and said: ‘Mr. Stevens, I’m very sorry.  Your father passed away about four minutes ago.’

‘I see.’

She looked at her hands, then up at my face. ‘Mr. Stevens, I’m very sorry,’ she said.  Then she added: ’I wish there was something I could say.’

‘There’s no need, Miss Kenton.’

‘Dr. Meredith has not yet arrived.’  Then for a moment she bowed her head and a sob escaped her.  But almost immediately, she resumed her composure and asked in a steady voice: ‘Will you come up and see him?’

‘I’m very busy just now, Miss Kenton.  In a little while perhaps.’

‘In that case, Mr. Stevens, will you permit me to close his eyes?’

‘I would be most grateful if you could, Miss Kenton.’

She began to climb the staircase, but I stopped her, saying: ‘Miss Kenton, please don’t think me unduly improper in not ascending to see my father in his deceased condition just at this moment.  You see, I know my father would have wished me to carry on just now’

‘Of course, Mr. Stevens.’

’To do otherwise, I feel, would be to let him down,’

‘Of course, Mr. Stevens.’

His relationship with Miss Kenton reminded me of that of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey.  As a matter of fact, I was thinking of Mr. Carson all throughout the book.  If you think Mr. Carson is too strict, then this guy is Mr. Carson in steroids.

Mr. Stevens will also take you to the events at the end of world war 1, or rather the mistakes that were made at Versailles, that lead to the events that gave rise to the Nazi Germany and the Japanese involvement in the world war II.  A good read on those events is the excellent non-fiction titled “Paris1919” by Margaret MacMillan. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Kazuo Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2017.