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Kazuo Ishiguro

Allyboo

I read Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro at the same time as I was completing my autism assessment in November 2021. I'd never read any of his books before so was all new to me. I found it tied in very well with my exploration of autism and ongoing mental health recovery journey. I went on to enjoy reading his book The Remains of the Day (and watch the film) as well as watch (and get the DVD in time) of the film Living (released in cinemas last year https://youtu.be/-hCTXaQ1guE ) which he adapted from the Japanese original. I would like to chat with other Kazuo Ishiguro fans so am on the lookout  for any generally, are any of you interested in his work much? 

Parents

  • That's really interesting, the connection you have made between being 'in service' and autism. I think I see what you mean. The idea of following instructions and a routine, working towards a 'greater good' without having to come up with one's own path in life. Am I understanding you correctly? That does seem reassuring, if there was an authority to follow that could fully be trusted, unlike the one in which poor Stevens placed his faith. If you are interested in other novels with benevolent AI, I must recommend 'Machines Like Me' by Ian McEwan. It's a good companion to 'Klara and the Sun' because McEwan has similarly made his artificial character 'good' in a way that the human characters are not. Also, the best unreliable narrator I have ever read was in 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson. It's told from the POV of an 18 year old girl who lives a reclusive life with her older sister and one of them may or may not have killed the rest of the family by poisoning. It's obviously dark, but not gruesome or straying into horror - in fact, you might like the way of life the sisters have built together which follows a calm routine with elements of superstition and family eccentricity. It's quite appealing - murder aside! Apologies if you don't want book recommendations, I'm a librarian and it's hard to resist sometimes! Do you have any for me? Which are your other favourite Ishiguros? I would say 'The Buried Giant' does have an unreliable narrator but more because he can't remember things rather than self-deception or trying to deceive the reader.

  • in reply to Maybe_Sally

    My mother wanted to be a librarian (she and my father both had 'attention to detail' in common as she became a primary school teacher with a particular interest in English (spelling, grammar, punctuation etc) and my father was a senior accountant all his career overall) and was involved at the school libraries she worked at as a teacher at the same time. I respect libraries and have used them a lot, what's your library like? The poet Philip Larkin was a librarian his whole career while writing his poetry on the side, I especially like his poem 'This Be The Verse' which I can relate to a lot.

    Maybe_Sally said:
    Am I understanding you correctly?

    Yes, you get the idea. Thank you for the recommendations, I'll look out for them. I treated myself to 3 Olivia Laing books in the last year, The Trip to Echo Spring and The Lonely City I've read and am pleased I did and To The River I look forward to reading in time Slight smile

  • in reply to Allyboo

    I had never heard of Olivia Laing and, having looked up their books, they really sound like something I might enjoy too - especially 'The Lonely City'; so I have ordered this one through the county library service. I am trying to come to terms with loneliness myself and I look forward to reading about loneliness, art and New York. Thanks, good recommendation :D

    I work in a school library, in a big comprehensive school with a sixth form - we have around 12000 books, adult fiction and non-fiction as well as junior fiction, comic books, manga, etc. It's also used as a social space by students for playing chess, Dungeons & Dragons, etc. It's great! But I am certainly no Philip Larkin.

    How about you?

  • in reply to Allyboo

    I love the librarian poem! Thanks for sharing Smiley I had never heard of Henry Normal either, you are introducing me to several new writers.

    Yes, lots of youngsters use the library as a safe space and it feels great to provide that for them. I am lucky to work in a school with management that values and continues to fund the library - as you are probably aware, there is no obligation for schools to have libraries and it's completely up to the whim of the Head. 

    Backgammon is fun too Slight smile

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  • in reply to Allyboo

    I love the librarian poem! Thanks for sharing Smiley I had never heard of Henry Normal either, you are introducing me to several new writers.

    Yes, lots of youngsters use the library as a safe space and it feels great to provide that for them. I am lucky to work in a school with management that values and continues to fund the library - as you are probably aware, there is no obligation for schools to have libraries and it's completely up to the whim of the Head. 

    Backgammon is fun too Slight smile

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