This is such a useful way of organizing your introduction to Ishiguro! I like Klara and the Sun much more than you did, probably because I found the theme of parents exposing their kids to physical and social deprivations in order to give them an intellectual advantage both heartbreaking and timely. You have convinced me to read The Buried Giant and to reread The Remains of the Day.
Wow, fascinating. I read four of Ishiguro's books in rapid succession when he was awarded the Nobel, and I came away in love with The Buried Giant. But my second favourite was definitely When We Were Orphans. I found it more captivating than Remains of the Day, and found Never Let Me Go to be the one that resonated with me the least. I can't remember specific details about why I enjoyed Orphans so much though, which speaks to your point about pleasant reading experiences slipping away easily.
When We Were Orphans! This is bananas! I wish I could have asked you back then what you liked about it. I was fully primed to love it, as it was the last Ishiguro novel I read (until Klara and the Sun came out) and I was riding high, but, man, that book really missed for me.
Yeah it would have been a fun discussion for sure. All I remember now is feeling totally immersed in the protagonist's memories, particularly of his childhood. I do also recall enjoying the first half more than the second half. It's all vague and fuzzy, but I do look back on it quite fondly.
You say about Remains of the Day--: "the same exact story broke my heart twice in the same day for the exact same reasons."
For a bookclub I re-read and rewatched and had the same experience--even though I had read and watched long ago. Evocation of Remains of the Day here is breaking my heart again.
This is such a useful way of organizing your introduction to Ishiguro! I like Klara and the Sun much more than you did, probably because I found the theme of parents exposing their kids to physical and social deprivations in order to give them an intellectual advantage both heartbreaking and timely. You have convinced me to read The Buried Giant and to reread The Remains of the Day.
Wow, fascinating. I read four of Ishiguro's books in rapid succession when he was awarded the Nobel, and I came away in love with The Buried Giant. But my second favourite was definitely When We Were Orphans. I found it more captivating than Remains of the Day, and found Never Let Me Go to be the one that resonated with me the least. I can't remember specific details about why I enjoyed Orphans so much though, which speaks to your point about pleasant reading experiences slipping away easily.
When We Were Orphans! This is bananas! I wish I could have asked you back then what you liked about it. I was fully primed to love it, as it was the last Ishiguro novel I read (until Klara and the Sun came out) and I was riding high, but, man, that book really missed for me.
Yeah it would have been a fun discussion for sure. All I remember now is feeling totally immersed in the protagonist's memories, particularly of his childhood. I do also recall enjoying the first half more than the second half. It's all vague and fuzzy, but I do look back on it quite fondly.
Ah, yes, the first half is great! I had big problems with the second half.
You say about Remains of the Day--: "the same exact story broke my heart twice in the same day for the exact same reasons."
For a bookclub I re-read and rewatched and had the same experience--even though I had read and watched long ago. Evocation of Remains of the Day here is breaking my heart again.
I said that about Never Let Me Go, but I have no trouble believing the same is true about Remains of the Day! Such a gorgeous heartbreak.