The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

This book was recommended by another woman in our book club. She claimed I would love it. She was right.

I'll be honest and admit my own bias. I had heard of this book, since it was made into a movie. And although I recollect the movie being English and bucolic, the Japanese name of the author threw me. I thought I had to be mistaken. And I was, frankly, not super interested in a novel about Japanese culture. That's me being biased and close-minded. 

I was wrong on every count. 

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro does reflect what I vaguely recollected of the movie. It is a British-themed book, seeped in British history and culture. 

It is the story of Stevens, a butler of the first order, reflecting on a life of service to a great lord. If I didn't know any better, I would say Ishiguro had either served as a butler himself or had somehow made himself intimately acquainted with the position. In my mind, he perfectly captures a man being passed over by time who is questioning his place and role. 

Stevens has set out on a journey across the country to contact a woman who used to work for him to see if she is interested in returning to the position. The estate has switched hands after the death of Lord Darlington to an American owner and although it requires far fewer staff, Stevens finds his team of four too small. Too many errors that would have been unacceptable in the prior era are surfacing. 

During the journey, Stevens has time to reflect on his life's work. He is particularly interested in what makes a "great" butler. Although he never implies that he, himself, should be counted among that small group, he clearly hopes he has approached greatness. 

His own definition includes "dignity," which he defines as the "ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken out by external events, however surprising, alarming or vexing." (p. 43) This definition is very convicting to me. I think it should apply to the profession of teacher as well as butler. I'm not sure I'm always able to "inhabit [my] professional role...to the utmost." I'm often thrown "out of character" at the slightest provocation. 

In the end, however, Stevens is reflective. Perhaps his extreme loyalty to a man he may be coming to believe was wrong should have caused him to step outside that professional role on occasion, at least to think and develop his own opinion. It's an interesting conundrum. It definitely gave me something to think about personally.