wagner79c2

Eh. I am trying to find another Ishiguro that I like as much as Never Let Me Go and I am failing. That said, objectively this is a very interesting story in that it's about a WW2 era butler so dedicated to his butlering that he is like a robot, totally without understanding of things like emotion and humor. Obviously you know this as you've probably seen the movie. I saw the movie a zillion years ago, so I don't remember it well other than to say to think of Anthony Hopkins as the object of anyone's affections doesn't do it for me. The thing is, the interactions with Miss Kenton are so few and far between, it's interesting to see how that was teased out for the meat of the movie. Mostly he's just yapping about dignity and butlering and then about the Nazi sympathizing story of his employer. I get the points of those, and it makes sense to have a character so divorced from his emotions focus on the boring things and not the important ones. However, I would have just enjoyed it more if the balance were in the other direction. Also the device of him recalling things through his drive is kind of zzz. All that said, the end when he finally sees Miss Kenton and they use the metaphor of the day of their life and making the best of what remains of the day is very pretty, and a nice thing to lend it's name to the book. Nonetheless, just not very gripping. Sad.

2022-11-14 17:04