KLARA AND THE SUN BY KAZUO ISHIGURO BOOK REVIEW

KLARA AND THE SUN BY KAZUO ISHIGURO BOOK REVIEW

BOOKER BOY BOOKCLUB 2021 SCHEDULE

2nd Aug- Second Place - Rachel Cusk

9th Aug - No One is Talking About This - Patricia Lockwood & Klara and the Sun - Kazuo Ishiguro

16th Aug - Great Circle - Maggie Shipstead

23rd Aug - An Island - Karen Jennings

30th Aug - A Town Called Solace - Mary Lawson

6th Sept - A Passage North - Anuk Arudpragasam

13th Sep - Light Perpetual - Francis Spufford

Shortlist Announced 14th September

20th Sept - The Sweetness of Water - Nathan Harris

27th Sept - China Room - Sunjeev Sahota

4th Oct - The Fortune Men - Nadifa Mohamed

11th Oct - The Promise - Damon Galgut

18th Oct - Bewilderment - Richard Powers

#bookerboybookclub #Booker2021

[Phil-pp]

As an Ishiguro fan, I enjoyed this one, though it's not one of his best. I thought 'Never Let Me Go' was excellent and this is set loosely in the same world but in my view doesn't come close.

[soniajohnson]

Klara and the Sun was serialised on the radio earlier this year, and it was a charming story to listen to while I did the ironing.

[GunpowderFictionPlot]

"A Watered down version of Never Let Me Go." Yes, that sums my feelings up perfectly.

This book wasn't even bad enough to disappoint me. 😐

[BobTheBookerer]

I loved your thoughts on this- although I really liked it, I entirely get what you’re saying here, and I think Never Let Me Go is much more successful at the overall AI bit of this.

I loved how subtle and tender Klara was as a book, but I also would be happy to see another book maybe make it to the shortlist ahead of this.

[iuwsvhs]

I think this was an excellent review considering Ishiguro is not your bag. The comparison to Never Let Me Go is tenuous except as it relates to mood and the feeling of fated demise for the protagonist. Here we have questions about our uses for AI (hint: they are as boring as we are): to enhance intelligence, for companionship, for work, etc. These uses left important questions on the table: can we replace those we love, what would we choose if we could enhance our intelligence and opportunities for success to the detriment of our health; what happens to the environment when we let machines take over? Are we the ones who should be creating computerized versions of our own flawed selves? Ishiguro was content to raise more questions than answers and to instead leave a quiet story on the table. I give him the fact that he is a confident writer.

[GaggingLit]

Stellar review. Excited to do my own one for this year's Booker. I thought what you said about her narrative voice being like cold text messages to be so true! Hadn't quite thought of her quite in that way before. :D

[Paromita_M]

Beautiful review. Probably not for me either but you discussed it so well.

[lochnesslegends]

Just discovered your channel, love your videos! Keep it up 👍

[daveclosinger]

I'm probably the only person who liked Klara and the Sun better than Never Let Me Go.

[SM-vrdz]

I still haven’t read my copy. I loved Remains of the Day, so I should really get to it.

[traceymills]

We are starting at the worst and moving upwards surely? Not for me even though I do remember liking Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day ages ago. Enjoyed the first part but then just wanted to finish as I was bored. Next one! :)

[ReadToMeAtMidnight]

I was getting so hype by the intro and then I realised it was so hype because I had it on 1.5 speed :')) I've never read an Ishiguro novel, I'm guessing Never Let Me Go would be a better starting point than this?

[illustratorsam]

So… no dancing robots from Boston Dynamics? 🙃 I’m one of 8 people who thought NLMG was “meh, ” so I am nervous for my entertainment, but I’m also a sucker for self-aware AI. If it disappoints, I still have The Fall of Koli staring at me from my TBR pile!

[carola]

I struggle to finish any Ishiguro. Just makes me want to go to sleep. I was a bit interested in how she viewed the sun but only a bit. Agree with your 4.

[lightningbolt]

Kieran hated this so I'm most likely going to love it. Jk I've never read an Ishiguro 🤦🏾‍♀️.... but I think I'll really think this one based on the premise.

[charliejones]

I was pretty disappointed with this, it was almost written as a Y.A book. There are hints of bigger themes within the book, but he never really explored them deep enough for me.

[fena_reti]

I’m here because of the “Diet Coke” roast from your Instagram picture 😂

[OverlyAverageBen]

I've never read Never Let Me Go so maybe I would enjoy this more as a first time Ishiguro reader... I hope 😂

[johncrwarner]

It is so hard to give a "balanced" critique
of a book by an author who ...
just doesn't inspire you
and Ishiguro, a safe pair of hands,
just doesn't for you.
I could tell from little phrasings that
you could admire the technique and writing
but you didn't love it.

As he is a previous winner
his book gets a free pass for the publisher
to submit it for consideration
It doesn't count to the limit.
So no surprise the safe pair of hands gets
onto the long list
I suspect it will not progress further.
(though other opinions may differ)

[blackbird]

Something is missing from Ishiguro's characters. There's a palpable sadness that is inescapable. I don't like that. I won't be seduced by melancholy. Poe thought ''the natural state of mankind is melancholy.''
Not me. I don't subscribe to that BS.