alex
I actually want to read this again because there's quite a few times where I was so invested that I actually forgot to consciously think about what I was reading. A few bits in the middle to do with character motivation confused me a bit, but it just adds to the general wackiness. That is what prevents me from giving it the 5 stars it probably deserves.
A book that recognizes the absurdity of life in a surprisingly uncynical way. A blast to read from start to finish. The characters aren't the most complex, (the short page count doesn't leave much room for character development), but I liked them nonetheless. And it was very funny of course!
This is a possible addition to my favourites list.
klara and the sun is a strangely polarizing book, but one that i thoroughly loved. also one that i think i'll be mulling over for a long time.
the ending. oh my god
the ending only makes sense for me at least, in one way. if josie died, and is replaced with the doll. otherwise, it's a million times more depressing.
i think i'm going to cry
good job mr ishiguro
anyways
i like rick!
all the characters are great.
they have all the traits commonly attributed to humanity: envy, anger, deception to name a few, as well as some more positive ones. rick, helen, josie's parents, josie, and of course klara all act based on their love for (some of) each other. klara and the sun has many themes, some of which probably flew right over my head. but there is no doubt in my mind that love, and the love of the people around you, is the main focus.
it's interesting how klara seems to be the only character interested in pollution and climate change. ishiguro's vision of the future is obviously inspired by many aspects of ours; the prejudice towards the “unlifted” and AFs being a big one. the apathy towards the climate by everyone but klara is just depressing. lots of stuff on the human condition too of course
going by my interpretation of it, the book is alternatively optimistic and pessimistic. for one, the ending is so depressing. the manager looking out at the construction crane is probably symbolic for the world starting another cycle now that the AFs are gone. the world is constantly changing, and sometimes the best things are left abandoned. but love? love remains eternal.
rick basically reinforces this at the end, but it's visible in much of the novel. this makes the ending just a bit less sad but my god is that ending sad
god is this review cheesy, but this is a really poignant novel.
gotta read something else by ishiguro, this was a great introduction to him though.
Extremely easy to read, great if you're in a slump. the beginning was the one part i really disliked, it gave off an edifying air and i was worried the book would be more of a lesson than a satisfying work of literature. But I was wrong
A very predictable book, but considering that it's YA(?) I think the ending was an understandable choice. A bit too easy, I think, more of an ideal than a realistic ending, but I get it, especially if the author has struggles similar to Nora
Later edit: unfortunately, my opinion has changed over time. I don't get the hype. Asides from being an enjoyable read, there isn't much outstanding or thought-provoking about the book at all.
I read it in sixth grade and it's been often drifting into my thoughts ever since. The beautiful writing, vivid imagery, the memorable characters, the unusual plot? I'm not sure what makes this so memorable. Is it Mimus himself, the jester heavily lacking in empathy, a twisted personification of the jokester trope, so resentful of the very ruling class he's entertaining? But anyways, judging from my veryyy reliable recollection, this is a flawless book. I'll reread it soon then but it'll probably end up on my favourites shelf. READ IT.
(reread)
I'm not sure what to rate this. The sparse writing style and the uncomplicated plot are clearly a product of the target audience, so with that in mind, it's really not bad. Thomas is annoying (a common flaw in books of this kind), but otherwise I really like the plot and worldbuilding. The drawings are a definite highlight.
7/10 rounded up.
Would re-read and maybe reccomend.
I really liked Wallace.
Oh yeah, I read it on my phone, something I'm not used to doing, so I might have missed some things. Because of that, take the rest of the review with a grain of salt!
Katey, I found, was inconsistent. Her personality failed to be strong enough to make the narration interesting, but she had some very nice moments of reflection sprinkled in that meant I couldn't despise her. An ineffective narrator, but if her personality had been sharpened a bit I think I could have liked her.
Eve was a constant reminder of the setting, and I think she is a nice reflection of 1930s ambition, but she was lacking a lot of depth.
Tinker. Idk.
I'm not sure what drew me to the character of Wallace, but he is easily the most memorable part of the book to me.
The setting was nicely developed and the plot never felt detached from it like some historical novels end up being. With the whole female authors thing, I felt like Mr. Towles was trying to make a point, but it just ended up being so weak and underdeveloped :/. It contributed to the feeling of the 1930s for sure, but something about it just felt... eh. It's a small nitpick anyways.
Now the writing style was amazing. Beautiful. Amor Towles is such a talent, I can't compliment his writing enough. Sometimes it felt like there was a bit of a style > substance thing going on in the book, and I felt like lots of plotlines weren't wrapped up properly or seemingly went nowhere.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this a lot, and while it was nowhere near as good as A Gentleman in Moscow (which I read two weeks ago and is quickly becoming one of my favorite novels), there was a lot to love. Go read this if you haven't :)
