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Kazuo Ishiguro

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Klara and the Sun: A GMA Book Club Pick: A novel Hardcover – March 2, 2021

by Kazuo Ishiguro (Author)

4.2 52,391 ratings

Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy

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NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • Once in a great while, a book comes along that changes our view of the world. This magnificent novel from the Nobel laureate and author of Never Let Me Go is “an intriguing take on how artificial intelligence might play a role in our futures ... a poignant meditation on love and loneliness” (The Associated Press). • AGOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick!

“What stays with you in ‘Klara and the Sun’ is the haunting narrative voice—a genuinely innocent, egoless perspective on the strange behavior of humans obsessed and wounded by power, status and fear.” —Booker Prize committee

Here is 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?

From the Publisher

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of March 2021: When he was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize, the committee noted how Ishiguro “uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.” In this beautiful novel, Ishiguro presents an “Artificial Friend,” a robot girl with artificial intelligence designed as a playmate for real children. It is a simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending story about the abyss we may never cross. —Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review

Review

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • A BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE • GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick • ONE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR •ONE OF BILL GATES'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR •ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Time, NPR, Washington Post, Vogue, USA Today, Town & Country, The Guardian, Vulture, and more

“One of the most affecting and profound novels Ishiguro has written….I'll go for broke and call Klara and the Sun a masterpiece that will make you think about life, mortality, the saving grace of love: in short, the all of it.”
—Maureen Corrigan, NPR

“A delicate, haunting story, steeped in sorrow and hope.”
—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“What stays with you in ‘Klara and the Sun’ is the haunting narrative voice—a genuinely innocent, egoless perspective on the strange behavior of humans obsessed and wounded by power, status and fear.” —Booker Prize committee

“It aspires to enchantment, or to put it another way, reenchantment, the restoration of magic to a disenchanted world. Ishiguro drapes realism like a thin cloth over a primordial cosmos. Every so often, the cloth slips, revealing the old gods, the terrible beasts, the warring forces of light and darkness.”
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic

“Ishiguro’s prose is soft and quiet. It feels like the perfect book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon. He allows the story to unfold slowly and organically, revealing enough on every page to continue piquing the reader’s curiosity. The novel is an intriguing take on how artificial intelligence might play a role in our futures...a poignant meditation on love and loneliness”
—Maggie Sprayregen, The Associated Press

“For four decades now, Ishiguro has written eloquently about the balancing act of remembering without succumbing irrevocably to the past. Memory and the accounting of memory, its burdens and its reconciliation, have been his subjects… Klara and the Sun complements [Ishiguro’s] brilliant vision…There’s no narrative instinct more essential, or more human.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“A prayer is a postcard asking for a favor, sent upward. Whether our postcards are read by anyone has become the searching doubt of Ishiguro’s recent novels, in which this master, so utterly unlike his peers, goes about creating his ordinary, strange, godless allegories.”
—James Wood, The New Yorker

“One of the joys of Ishiguro's novels is the way they recall and reframe each other, almost like the same stories told in different formats...Again and again, Ishiguro asks: What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have a self? And how much of that self can and should we give to others?”
—NPR

“Moving and beautiful… an unequivocal return to form, a meditation in the subtlest shades on the subject of whether our species will be able to live with everything it has created… [A] feverish read, [a] one-sitter… Few writers who’ve ever lived have been able to create moods of transience, loss and existential self-doubt as Ishiguro has — not art about the feelings, but the feelings themselves.”
—The Los Angeles Times

“As with Ishiguro’s other works, the rich inner reflections of his protagonists offer big takeaways, and Klara’s quiet but astute observations of human nature land with profound gravity . . . This dazzling genre-bending work is a delight.”
—Publishers Weekly [starred review]

“A haunting fable of a lonely, moribund world that is entirely too plausible.”
—Kirkus Reviews [starred review]

Praise from the UK:

“There is something so steady and beautiful about the way Klara is always approaching connection, like a Zeno’s arrow of the heart. People will absolutely love this book, in part because it enacts the way we learn how to love. Klara and the Sun is wise like a child who decides, just for a little while, to love their doll. “What can children know about genuine love?” Klara asks. The answer, of course, is everything.”
—Anne Enright, The Guardian

“Flawless . . . This is a novel for fans of Never Let Me Go, with which it shares a DNA of emotional openness, the quality of letting us see ourselves from the outside, and a vision of humanity which — while not exactly optimistic — is tender, touching and true.”
—John Self, The Times

“With its hushed intensity of emotion, this fable about robot love and loneliness confirms Ishiguro as a master prose stylist.”
—Ian Thomson, The Evening Standard

“It is innocence that forms Ishiguro’s major subject, explored in novels at once familiar and strange, which only gradually display their true and devastating significance.”
—Jon Day, The Financial Times

“The novel is a masterpiece of great beauty, meticulous control and, as ever, clear, simple prose.”
—Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times

“A deft dystopian fable about the innocence of a robot that asks big questions about existence”
—The Financial Times

About the Author

KAZUO ISHIGURO was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honors around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have each sold more than 2 million copies. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When we were new, Rosa and I were mid-store, on the magazines table side, and could see through more than half of the window. So we were able to watch the outside – the office workers hurrying by, the taxis, the runners, the tourists, Beggar Man and his dog, the lower part of the RPO Building. Once we were more settled, Manager allowed us to walk up to the front until we were right behind the window display, and then we could see how tall the RPO Building was. And if we were there at just the right time, we would see the Sun on his journey, crossing between the building tops from our side over to the RPO Building side.

When I was lucky enough to see him like that, I’d lean my face forward to take in as much of his nourishment as I could, and if Rosa was with me, I’d tell her to do the same. After a minute or two, we’d have to return to our positions, and when we were new, we used to worry that because we often couldn’t see the Sun from mid-store, we’d grow weaker and weaker. Boy AF Rex, who was alongside us then, told us there was nothing to worry about, that the Sun had ways of reaching us wherever we were. He pointed to the floorboards and said, ‘That’s the Sun’s pattern right there. If you’re worried, you can just touch it and get strong again.’

There were no customers when he said this, and Manager was busy arranging something up on the Red Shelves, and I didn’t want to disturb her by asking permission. So I gave Rosa a glance, and when she looked back blankly, I took two steps forward, crouched down and reached out both hands to the Sun’s pattern on the floor. But as soon as my fingers touched it, the pattern faded, and though I tried all I could – I patted the spot where it had been, and when that didn’t work, rubbed my hands over the floorboards – it wouldn’t come back. When I stood up again Boy AF Rex said:

‘Klara, that was greedy. You girl AFs are always so greedy.’

Even though I was new then, it occurred to me straight away it might not have been my fault; that the Sun had withdrawn his pattern by chance just when I’d been touching it. But Boy AF Rex’s face remained serious.

‘You took all the nourishment for yourself, Klara. Look, it’s gone almost dark.’

Sure enough the light inside the store had become very gloomy. Even outside on the sidewalk, the Tow-Away Zone sign on the lamp post looked gray and faint.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said to Rex, then turning to Rosa: ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it all myself.’

‘Because of you,’ Boy AF Rex said, ‘I’m going to become weak by evening.’

‘You’re making a joke,’ I said to him. ‘I know you are.’

‘I’m not making a joke. I could get sick right now. And what about those AFs rear-store? There’s already something not right with them. They’re bound to get worse now. You were greedy, Klara.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ I said, but I was no longer so sure. I looked at Rosa, but her expression was still blank.

‘I’m feeling sick already,’ Boy AF Rex said. And he sagged forward.

‘But you just said yourself. The Sun always has ways to reach us. You’re making a joke, I know you are.’

I managed in the end to convince myself Boy AF Rex was teasing me. But what I sensed that day was that I had, without meaning to, made Rex bring up something uncomfortable, something most AFs in the store preferred not to talk about. Then not long afterwards that thing happened to Boy AF Rex, which made me think that even if he had been joking that day, a part of him had been serious too.

It was a bright morning, and Rex was no longer beside us because Manager had moved him to the front alcove. Manager always said that every position was carefully conceived, and that we were as likely to be chosen when standing at one as at another. Even so, we all knew the gaze of a customer entering the store would fall first on the front alcove, and Rex was naturally pleased to get his turn there. We watched him from mid-store, standing with his chin raised, the Sun’s pattern all over him, and Rosa leaned over to me once to say, ‘Oh, he does look wonderful! He’s bound to find a home soon!’

On Rex’s third day in the front alcove, a girl came in with her mother. I wasn’t so good then at telling ages, but I remember estimating thirteen and a half for the girl, and I think now that was
correct. The mother was an office worker, and from her shoes and suit we could tell she was high-ranking. The girl went straight to Rex and stood in front of him, while the mother came wandering our way, glanced at us, then went on towards the rear, where two AFs were sitting on the Glass Table, swinging their legs freely as Manager had told them to do. At one point the mother called, but the girl ignored her and went on staring up at Rex’s face. Then the child reached out and ran a hand down Rex’s arm. Rex said nothing, of course, just smiled down at her and remained still, exactly as we’d been told to do when a customer showed special interest.

‘Look!’ Rosa whispered. ‘She’s going to choose him! She loves him. He’s so lucky!’ I nudged Rosa sharply to silence her, because we could easily be heard.

Now it was the girl who called to the mother, and then soon they were both standing in front of Boy AF Rex, looking him up and down, the girl sometimes reaching forward and touching him. The two conferred in soft voices, and I heard the girl say at one point, ‘But he’s perfect, Mom. He’s beautiful.’ Then a moment later, the child said, ‘Oh, but Mom, come on.’

Manager by this time had brought herself quietly behind them. Eventually the mother turned to Manager and asked:

‘Which model is this one?’

‘He’s a B2,’ Manager said. ‘Third series. For the right child, Rex will make a perfect companion. In particular, I feel he’ll encourage a conscientious and studious attitude in a young person.’

‘Well this young lady here could certainly do with that.’

‘Oh, Mother, he’s perfect.’

Then the mother said: ‘B2, third series. The ones with the solar absorption problems, right?’

She said it just like that, in front of Rex, her smile still on her face. Rex kept smiling too, but the child looked baffled and glanced from Rex to her mother.

‘It’s true,’ Manager said, ‘that the third series had a few minor issues at the start. But those reports were greatly exaggerated. In environments with normal levels of light, there’s no problem whatsoever.’

‘I’ve heard solar malabsorption can lead to further problems,’ the mother said. ‘Even behavioral ones.’

‘With respect, ma’am, series three models have brought immense happiness to many children. Unless you live in Alaska or down a mineshaft, you don’t need to worry.’

The mother went on looking at Rex. Then finally she shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Caroline. I can see why you like him. But he’s not for us. We’ll find one for you that’s perfect.’

Rex went on smiling until after the customers had left, and even after that, showed no sign of being sad. But that’s when I remembered about him making that joke, and I was sure then that those questions about the Sun, about how much of his nourishment we could have, had been in Rex’s mind for some time.

Today, of course, I realize Rex wouldn’t have been the only one. But officially, it wasn’t an issue at all – every one of us had specifications that guaranteed we couldn’t be affected by factors such as our positioning within a room. Even so, an AF would feel himself growing lethargic after a few hours away from the Sun, and start to worry there was something wrong with him – that he had some fault unique to him and that if it became known, he’d never find a home.

That was one reason why we always thought so much about being in the window. Each of us had been promised our turn, and each of us longed for it to come. That was partly to do with what Manager called the ‘special honor’ of representing the store to the outside. Also, of course, whatever Manager said, we all knew we were more likely to be chosen while in the window. But the big thing, silently understood by us all, was the Sun and his nourishment. Rosa did once bring it up with me, in a whisper, a little while before our turn came around.

‘Klara, do you think once we’re in the window, we’ll receive so much goodness we’ll never get short again?’

I was still quite new then, so didn’t know how to answer, even though the same question had been in my mind.

Then our turn finally came, and Rosa and I stepped into the window one morning, making sure not to knock over any of the display the way the pair before us had done the previous week. The store, of course, had yet to open, and I thought the grid would be fully down. But once we’d seated ourselves on the Striped Sofa, I saw there was a narrow gap running along the bottom of the grid – Manager must have raised it a little when checking everything was ready for us – and the Sun’s light was making a bright rectangle that came up onto the platform and finished in a straight line just in front of us. We only needed to stretch our feet a little to place them within its warmth. I knew then that whatever the answer to Rosa’s question, we were about to get all the nourishment we would need for some time to come. And once Manager touched the switch and the grid climbed up all the way, we became covered in dazzling light.

I should confess here that for me, there’d always been another reason for wanting to be in the window which had nothing to do with the Sun’s nourishment or being chosen. Unlike most AFs, unlike Rosa, I’d always longed to see more of the outside – and to see it in all its detail. So once the grid went up, the realization that there was now only the glass between me and the sidewalk, that I was free to see, close up and whole, so many things I’d seen before only as corners and edges, made me so excited that for a moment I nearly forgot about the Sun and his kindness to us.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf; First Edition (March 2, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 059331817X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593318171
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.47 x 1.25 x 9.53 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #25,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #208 in Science Fiction Crime & Mystery
- #445 in Dystopian Fiction (Books)
- #2,515 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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4.2 52,391 ratings

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Kazuo Ishiguro

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KAZUO ISHIGURO was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honors around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have each sold more than 2 million copies. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.

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Customers find the book compelling and interesting. They describe the writing as thoughtful, evocative, and perceptive. The book is heartwarming and touching, with themes of compassion, love, and friendship. Many readers find it unique and different from other science fiction novels. However, some feel the plot development is slow and unsatisfying.

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Readability Writing quality Thought provoking Heartwarming Sadness Novel quality Pacing Development

613 customers mention "Readability"488 positive125 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-crafted. They describe the narrator as compelling and charismatic. The story questions what it means to be human through an age-old tale. Readers praise the author's creative perspective and say it's a fairytale of modern times.

"...In this case, she learns very fast to accommodate to the needs and daily whims of her sick companion Josie...." Read more

"...The story takes place in the future, of course, but that future is not very clearly defined...." Read more

"...She developed love and friendship. She is filled with hopes and fears and has a consciousness of herself as unique." Read more

"...KS_ is a fairytale of the modern times, dealing, as any fairytale, with the anxieties of its era: machines taking the place of humans, substitutions..." Read more

377 customers mention "Writing quality"325 positive52 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging. They find the narrator's story mesmerizing, and the book explores what makes people human and what makes lives valuable. The storyline presents its own world and rules in a semi-mysterious manner. Readers appreciate the intelligent, concise, and creative perspective.

"...to observe, remember, reason logically and above all, learn from her daily experiences...." Read more

"...But the whole book is a series of references. The writing is very clean and you can read the book in a relatively short period of time...." Read more

"...She is filled with hopes and fears and has a consciousness of herself as unique." Read more

"...There are also many thematic parallels, not only about human genetics, and genetic editing, but also in the way beings (be them clones or robots)..." Read more

278 customers mention "Thought provoking"232 positive46 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and evocative. They appreciate the insightful storyline, perceptive characters, and creative perspective. The book raises valid questions about science, humanity, AI ethics, and finding one's place in a changing world.

"...emotions, thoughts like us, human beings, having an advanced ability to observe, remember, reason logically and above all, learn from her daily..." Read more

"...She is genuinely advanced in some areas but rudimentary in others. There is a whiff of consciousness...." Read more

"...learn that AF means artificial friend - a friendly robot filled with artificial intelligence and importantly the ability to dream...." Read more

"...It is a study about illness, love, tenderness, faith, all interpreted or acted upon by a being that is not human..." Read more

126 customers mention "Heartwarming"113 positive13 negative

Customers find the book heartwarming. They mention it develops compassion, the power of love, and how that can transcend the world. The book is described as poignant, sad, and reflective. It sheds light on loneliness, parenting, friendship, and sacrifice.

"...As as AF, Klara surprisingly also suppressed her own feelings of rejection, sometimes scornful reactions from others to loyally support Josie...." Read more

"...She developed love and friendship. She is filled with hopes and fears and has a consciousness of herself as unique." Read more

"...memories about Never Let Me Go, specially the kind of decency and tenderness that Ishiguro masterfully embeds into the action and reactions of his..." Read more

"...is personified by Klara, and described as giving life saving and healing power, but seemingly at his own discretion when he chooses to help or not..." Read more

78 customers mention "Sadness"56 positive22 negative

Customers find the book touching and sad, bringing tears to their eyes. They describe it as a touching, unsettling, and affecting read that has a dystopian feel. The book's atmosphere is described as bleak and tragic, with thoughtful and poignant comments about our future.

"...There is a whiff of consciousness...." Read more

"...it is in Ishiguro's narration through Klara that makes this a touching but sad book, which I have a feeling may have gotten its start as a vision of..." Read more

"A warning: this is a really sad book. It’s sad despite its (almost) happy ending. It holds a mirror up to our human lives...." Read more

"...written, and the story was very heartwarming, maybe even tear-producing at the end. Reading along with Klara's emotional journey was very moving...." Read more

42 customers mention "Novel quality"32 positive10 negative

Customers find the novel engaging. They describe it as unique and unusual, with an intriguing storyline. Many consider it one of the author's best works, describing it as literary fiction with some sci-fi elements that reads like a timeless tale.

"...Everything is familiar, but at the same time seems strange through Klara's sometimes childish or naïve (however precise) descriptions of what she..." Read more

"...This is a literary fiction novel with some sci-fi aspects...." Read more

"...The book was a bit more refined and sophisticated and looking at the author's other books I can see why...." Read more

"...and faith, the plumbing of philosophic depths in this novel is rather too simplistic...." Read more

72 customers mention "Pacing"36 positive36 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it engaging and fast-paced, with an easy read that grabs you from the first sentence. Others feel the pacing is slow and flat, leaving them feeling unsatisfied. The imagery is described as plain, the technical commentary outdated, and the human connection is slim. Overall, readers feel the book lacks originality and has no groundbreaking elements.

"...The writing is very clean and you can read the book in a relatively short period of time. Definitely not a slog...." Read more

"...However, the author begins an at first slow descent into madness, and about two thirds of the way through it begins to utterly fall off a cliff...." Read more

"...little information to the reader, making this story heartbreaking and moving...." Read more

"...But it felt hollow, slow paced and left me feeling flat. It only felt interesting around page 200 but even then the plot never went anywhere...." Read more

44 customers mention "Development"0 positive44 negative

Customers find the plot slow and confusing. They feel the characters are underdeveloped and haphazardly developed. The spirituality feels mundane and lazy, and the characters act in confusing and unsympathetic ways. Overall, readers find the book boring and tedious.

"...there is some other hidden message beneath that, as her development seems somewhat haphazard, and not shaped in your usual character arc...." Read more

"...of the story, about love and loss and spirituality was mundane and felt lazy ...." Read more

"...The human characters in the story are conflicted, complex, and not always rational. Klara is oddly more sensible, and more lovable...." Read more

"...On a personal note, the final part (part 6), is particularly challenging...." Read more

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JH
A very original and refreshing perspective of AI
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
I had read other novels by Kazuo Ishiguro, loved them for its simple but deep and insightful thoughts. This latest novel deals with the contemporary topic of robots, artificial intelligence and its impact to our near future. It is the time that we can buy or order a robot or AF (Artificial Friend) to meet our needs. In this case, a mother bought an AF named Klara to be a companion/assistant/helper/confidante to her sick daughter Josie. Kazuo presented this story differently than other authors in that he narrated it from the perspective of AF Klara as a person throughout the story. Reading thru the novel, readers will soon forget that Klara is a robot since she has feelings, emotions, thoughts like us, human beings, having an advanced ability to observe, remember, reason logically and above all, learn from her daily experiences. In this case, she learns very fast to accommodate to the needs and daily whims of her sick companion Josie. As the story evolves, Klara learned or started to developed feelings for Josie such as loyalty, empathy, friendship, sadness. Klara transformed from a robot at the service of its master to a dedicated friend who is looking for ways to make Josie's day brighter. In mid-story, Klara was engaging Rick who was an old childhood friend of Josie but somehow drifted apart, to come back to Josie to help her with her sickness. As as AF, Klara surprisingly also suppressed her own feelings of rejection, sometimes scornful reactions from others to loyally support Josie. In the latter part of the novel, Klara explored metaphysical thoughts like faith with her god (The Sun), memory of a dear person after death and even sacrificing herself to replace Josie in an act of selfless love. But even with her super faculties, Klara understood her limits realizing that love is not a concept that can be learned. At the end of story, Klara even thought she accomplished her mission which is to help Josie overcome her illness had to deal with her age and usefulness as an AF. Even an AF is becoming old, outdated and as all physical things, will be sent to a lonely place to die. At the end, one can't help to love Klara as a human being, to feel for her dedication, loneliness and sad destiny. In many ways, Klara has learned to become better than us because she expressed no bitter remorse and ill feelings about her destiny. After finishing the novel, I have a perplexing thought about the role of AF in our future technological society. What role do we want an AF to be, a helper in daily chores, companion in lonely times, a friend to confide in, a protective mother-to-be or a person who we can learn from ?

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Gary Moreau, Author
A style reminiscent of Eastern poetry
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021
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This is the first book I have read by Kazuo Ishiguro. And according to the professional reviewers one of his common themes is the exploration of what it means to be human, which love is a big part of. And this book certainly fits.

The narrator is a robot named Klara, an AF (artificial friend) meant to be a companion to a teenage girl named Josie. The story takes place in the future, of course, but that future is not very clearly defined. There is a reference to massive social upheaval caused by the advancement of AI, a predictable backlash from the humans who are disaffected, and the implication of anarchy. There is even a specific reference to fascism.

But the whole book is a series of references. The writing is very clean and you can read the book in a relatively short period of time. Definitely not a slog. But many questions go unanswered and vague is a defining characteristic. In many ways, in fact, both the writing style and the reliance on vague implication often made me think of Eastern poetry (I am a fan) in narrative form.

As other reviewers have noted, the book leaves you with an overall sense of sadness, but I would call it emptiness because it is more of a perspective than an emotion. It just is, which is largely the way Klara sees and experiences the world.

Having given it much thought over the years, it is very doubtful to me that artificial people will develop along the path that Klara is on. She is genuinely advanced in some areas but rudimentary in others. There is a whiff of consciousness. Klara picks up on innuendo and interprets her observations in ways suggestive of the most observant and sensitive of humans, but has a very limited knowledge of the larger world. She doesn’t, for example, understand the purpose of the simplest machines.

There is a great deal of ink devoted to how Klara sees the world. It often involves geometric shapes and the deception of angle, point of view, and lighting. That, however, is never fully linked to the main narrative.

The human characters are not developed in depth, more as a matter of style, I think, than oversight. And there are many storylines that are never quite filled in, again, I think, due to matters of style.

The mother presents the most complex and inscrutable character to me. We are often presented with somewhat lengthy narratives that are just left in total isolation. Often contradictory, these dialogues are never fully explained or again referenced as the narrative unfolds.

In the end, the author’s perspective on what it means to be human is vague, like the book itself. The basic question seems to be whether or not humans have an inexplicable dimension that will never be replicated artificially or are predictable in a way we may not yet understand, but which there is a knowable pattern to.

I, for one, believe it will be decades before robots are even remotely human. They will do amazing things and will learn much more than we can individually know. That, however, is where we live, not what we know and feel.

One of the reasons for that is that artificial intelligence is incapable of making mistakes. It can clearly be wrong and make terrible choices. That, however, is the fault of the person creating the artificial intelligence, not the intelligence itself. And that is exactly why we must be so careful in pursuing a future dominated by AI. Humans are more than capable of making mistakes, even ones that will ultimately destroy us.

In the end, I will probably buy another one of this author’s books. I will wait a while, however. I need to fully digest this one first. That, in the end, is my standard of a good book.

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eclectic reader
Kiara an artificial friend had real feeling, real love
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2024
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Kiara an artificial friend had real feeling, real love. We gradually learn that AF means artificial friend - a friendly robot filled with artificial intelligence and importantly the ability to dream. She developed love and friendship. She is filled with hopes and fears and has a consciousness of herself as unique.

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Babs
A strange book
Reviewed in Canada on December 22, 2023
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I read this much faster than most books. It is oddly compelling and I did enjoy it. The writing style is a bit weird. I was well into the book before the author indicates what AF means, or revealed The Mother's name only in passing, as a few examples of things that were only explained tangentially. That bothered me a bit.
A serious flaw for me was that I couldn't understand why Klara did not have access to Google. She is not particularly well educated about the world and had no way of finding out things she was interested in unless they were observable in her own experience. That took away a lot of "believe-ability" from the story for me, as we can do that even now and the story is in the future.
The ending is bizarre but actually very good when you think about it ten minutes after finishing the book.
In any case, I enjoyed the book. I still think about Klara many days after finishing it, so I guess that means something. hahaha.

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Karen Elizabeth Pereyra Havens
Great read, great writer.
Reviewed in Mexico on August 18, 2023
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Anyone who enjoys science fiction, will love it!

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Carlos Vivanco Pastore
Realmente bueno. Cómo siempre
Reviewed in Spain on November 24, 2024
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Una vez más Kazuo Ishiguro no decepciona. Su inglés es elegante, simple, lleno de sentimientos y detalles. He leído varios de sus trabajos y nunca me ha aburrido ni desencantado. Vale la pena.

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Clorox was open inside the box and it becomes on my clothes and damaged it
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Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on August 14, 2024
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Nice book

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Peter Meyvis
Fijn!
Reviewed in Belgium on June 5, 2024
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Mooie hardback-uitgave van Ishiguro nieuwe roman.

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