January 28, 2007 at 4:26 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Children's Literature, Favourite Books, Fiction and Literature
32. I Want to Go Home by Gordon Korman (children’s fiction, humour)
Another GK book I haven’t read in a very long time. I loved his books so much as a kid, and it’s a great comfort to discover that I enjoy them almost as much as an adult.
33. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (fiction)
This is the second book by Ishiguro that I’ve read, and it’s only confirmed that he is one of my favourite authors. In terms of genre, it’s akin to books like The Time Traveler’s Wife, in that it explores science fiction concepts without really fitting into the genre. A dystopian novel, I guess.
The story is narrated by Kathy, a former student at Hailsham boarding school. As she looks back on her time there and her life since leaving, she draws the reader deeper and deeper into her word, gradually revealing details about the society she lives in, and about the two greatest friends she had at Hailsham.
Books read: 33/300 (11%)
Pages read: 8,389/75,000 (11.2%)
Days passed: 28/365 (7.7%)
X-posted here.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2007, Gordon Korman, Kazuo Ishiguro
January 22, 2007 at 4:48 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Fiction and Literature
26. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
What can I say about this book, aside from that it is fabulous? I fell in love with Stevens on page 2, and couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it. Everyone should read this.
The Remains of the Day is narrated in the first person by Stevens, longtime butler at Darlington Hall, ancestral residence of Lord Darlington, but sold after his death to an American, Mr. Farraday. The book follows the progress of Stevens’s motor tour through the English countryside, during which he looks back on his life, and comes to a new understanding of his relationships with his father, the former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, and with Lord Darlington. The writing is exquisite, and builds a masterful portrait of a man who has spent his life in service to others; a portrait that is by turns both funny and sad, but always touching and entertaining.
I’ll definitely be reading Ishiguro’s other books, probably starting with When We Were Orphans or Never Let Me Go. It’s an odd coincidence that the book I read right before this, Conrad’s Fate by Diana Wynne Jones, happens to be likewise concerned with professional service in a great household.
Books read: 26/50 (52%)
Pages read: 6,517/15,000 (43%)
X-posted here.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2007, Kazuo Ishiguro
