The discussion of The Remains of the Day could only cover a few of the many themes Kazuo Ishiguro presented in his novel. From the personality of Mr. Stevens, who was a precise butler who also read romance novels, and could not understand either himself or bantering; to the description of the British who favored the German establishment in the period between World War I and II, Ishiguro captured the complexities of individuals and cultures in England of these times. As the world changed around him, Mr. Stevens clung to his ideal of the world as he wished it to be, and presented himself to the reader as he wanted to be seen, while betraying truths of his character unknowingly. The complexity of the story and characters, changing class structures, and the humor and tragedy we saw in the novel provided fodder for our usual lively conversation.
Our next book will be Book of Ages: The Life and Times of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore. Here is a link to a review from the New York Times. We will meet Wednesday, April 11, in Room 115 of the Richardson Library. Note this is the second Wednesday rather than our usual first Wednesday. Discussion begins at 1:30, with the room open at 1 pm. for anyone who wants to bring in a brown bag lunch. For further information contact Kathryn DeGraff or Helen Marlborough.
We will continue to review the titles on our list for consideration for upcoming discussions. Please let Kathryn, Helen, or anyone else in the group, if you have a favorite book you would like to share with your DES colleagues. As you can tell from the posts, we are interested in a wide range of fiction and non fiction. We enjoy our sessions thoroughly and always have room for more people and more insights.
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