by Kazuo Ishiguro
Goodreads description:
Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her.
Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: What does it mean to love?
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓
Klara and the Sun has received mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. Beautifully written, it follows the story of an A.F. (Artificial Friend) in a dystopian future. Reminiscent of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, Klara (the A.F.) aimed to please her owner and give all that she could to aid her happiness and success. In return, the flaws of the humans in the story, were glaringly obvious to the reader. It was a little depressing, but captured the human condition (warts and all) very well.
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓1/2
OK, this is just another book that proves that my reading level is not quite so sophisticated. If the cover says “Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature”, I am probably going to struggle. Before reading this, I thought A.F. was a term involving a 4-letter word, as in “she is guilty as f*ck”, little did I know that A.F. was Artificial Friend. In a dystopian future, wealthy parents can purchase AFs for their children who need a little something extra to cope with life. Part servant, part friend, AFs are basically discardable emotional support. A sad commentary on the evolution of the human condition.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 