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?
Angie Kim –
I tore through the ARC in less than 24 hours, and now I’m just sitting here with tears in my eyes, completely and utterly satisfied. I love Klara, the insightful and noble Artificial Friend, and I wish she were real so that I could hug her and tell her how much she means to me. This book is all my favorite things rolled into one–sci-fi, mythology, suspense and mystery, and coming of age (yes, of a robot). It’s a beautiful and powerful exploration of important questions about humanity: what makes a person? What makes a life worth living and remembering? How do our beliefs and observations change the world, and vice-versa? In many ways, I think Klara and the Sun is a companion piece of sorts to Never Let Me Go (probably my favorite Ishiguro novel until this one), examining one world’s solution to achieve the same type of “improvement” to society and human life that NLMG did. The goal is similar, but the means are almost opposite in the two books–two sides of the same coin. (Ugh, it’s hard to express without specific references, but I don’t want to even risk spoiling anything!) I cannot WAIT for everyone to read this book because I need to discuss and debate it!!!!
Elinor –
I didn’t like the book very much
samantha –
It’s a good book, worth the time spent in reading