Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro The first novel by Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017 "Arguably 2021's biggest event in literary publishing." - The Bookseller, Editor's Choice "A masterpiece of great beauty, meticulous control and, as ever, clear, simple prose." - Sunday Times

"Another masterpiece, a work that makes us feel afresh the beauty and fragility of our humanity." - Observer

"This novel...[lets] us see ourselves from the outside, and a vision of humanity which - while not exactly optimistic - is tender, touching and true." - The Times

"With its hushed intensity of emotion, Klara and the Sun confirms Ishiguro as a master prose stylist." - Evening Standard

"Intelligent, beautiful, mesmeric and a breeze to read - what more could you want?" - Metro

"Genuinely moving, even beautiful, in Ishiguro's unostentatious but perfectly judged prose." - Daily Mirror

From the back of the book:

'The Sun always has ways to reach us.'

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

In Klara and the Sun, his first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly-changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

My Review: 5/5 stars

I have not read other books from Kauzo Ishiguro (yet), but I absolutely loved this book.  The simplicity of the language belied the depth of the story.  The characters were well developed and I instantly loved the voice of the protagonist.

(spoilers)

I found the backdrop of a dystopian future where artificial intelligence and genetic modification fascinating.  I could have read another book completely about only this world.  I wanted to learn more about the community where Josie's father was living, the process and decision of being "lifted" on which children and their parents need to decide to embark, and then what happens to the AF's and their place in society at the end of the book.

However interesting and unique this background, the true stars for me were the universal themes that were explored in this beautiful story: the meaning of love, the depth of human nature and the existence of faith.  Through the objective and innocent eyes of Klara, Ishiguro is able to explore these topics in a new way.  Although the ending did leave quite a few loose ends, I did not mind the room left for interpretation - however, I would definitely read a sequel or prequel (or both) to this lovely story.