“One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.”
- Sophocles

Oh man, what do I say about this novel? It was excruciating to keep reading it, perhaps for something like 90% of the novel my mental state was somewhere between mildly frustrated and benignly annoyed. But I’m so glad I persisted and finished the damn thing.

The story is narrated by a butler, a Mr. Stevens, traveling during a short vacation; most of the story consists of his thoughts and opinions. This is undoubtedly the most boring protagonist and the most boring premise possible, and yet you can feel yourself getting lost in the maze of words as you listen to the steady and calm narration.

It was actually quite irritating to read at first, as I found myself disagreeing with most of his views, but I think that’s not the point of the novel at all. It does not try to preach you anything, it simply presents a person to you, just another thoughtful human being.

I do not know how Ishiguro does it, the novel is like a card castle built out of words. There are possibly several themes in this novel but for me, its beauty lies in its nuanced construction. Ishiguro understands that to convey a thought it’s not enough to simply state it, but one has to ease the listener in with just the right nudges until they’re ready to hear it, and the ride that he takes you on along with Mr. Stevens does just that.

Without giving much away I’ll say that it is a very gentle and moving novel, but one that reveals its full magnificence only at the very end. Perhaps the pleasure one derives from reading this novel is not unlike suffering hardships and boredom climbing up a lonely mountain for days on end, until eventually, one reaches the top to catch the breathtaking vistas, but alas, only for a few moments…