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A review by oddsign
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
One of my favorite books I’ve read this year. It’s slow, intimate, and wondrous.
The story follows the perspective of Klara as an “Artificial Friend”. Made for children to keep them from feeling lonely.
The books is told in parts. From when Klara stands at a display window observing the foreign outside world, to when she finds a home and her experiences that follow.
It is known to the reader, and some of the characters, that Klara is a special AF. She is more observant than the average one, and comes to some remarkable conclusions by herself.
Klara is a fascinating character, and Ishiguro is able to write an endearing narrative voice that feels both human and foreign (robotic). As she experiences more and more, I found myself increasingly fascinated with Klara thought processes and motivations. I think AI stories can easily be, or easily be seen as, clichéd. But some writers are able to prove that there can be so much depth to the concept. Ishiguro nails that here.
It’s a slow story, with a small cast of characters. It may feel simple, but Ishiguro still hangs blankets of mystery, but none overtake the warm and comforting feeling of the sun.
The story follows the perspective of Klara as an “Artificial Friend”. Made for children to keep them from feeling lonely.
The books is told in parts. From when Klara stands at a display window observing the foreign outside world, to when she finds a home and her experiences that follow.
It is known to the reader, and some of the characters, that Klara is a special AF. She is more observant than the average one, and comes to some remarkable conclusions by herself.
Klara is a fascinating character, and Ishiguro is able to write an endearing narrative voice that feels both human and foreign (robotic). As she experiences more and more, I found myself increasingly fascinated with Klara thought processes and motivations. I think AI stories can easily be, or easily be seen as, clichéd. But some writers are able to prove that there can be so much depth to the concept. Ishiguro nails that here.
It’s a slow story, with a small cast of characters. It may feel simple, but Ishiguro still hangs blankets of mystery, but none overtake the warm and comforting feeling of the sun.