Name: Klara and the Sun
Rating: 3.75522113022113 (814 reviews)
ISBN: 9780571364909

Kazuo Ishiguro

Sunday Times Number One Bestseller

Klara and the Sun

Fred Rivett

The kitchen was an excellent room for the Sun to look into.

里森

smile??

Favoritism, like any other form of corruption, works best when it remains unacknowledged.

Danny White

vivian mizuno

Klara Hansen 

Brodie smith

“Sometimes,” she said, “ at special moments like that, people feel pain alongside their happiness.”

Of course a human heart is bound to be complex, it must be limited.

The new B3s, it was said, had all sorts of improvements. But how could they be good AFs for their children if their minds could invent ideas like these?

sina (she/her) 

"I supported you this time. But I won't do it again. Its for the customer to choose the AF, never the other way round." 

Francine

The Sun had ways of reaching us wherever we were.

I had seen photos of bulls in magazines, but of course never in reality, and even though this one was standing quite far from us, and I knew it couldn't cross the fence, I was so alarmed by its appearance I gave an exclamation and came to a halt. I'd never before seen anything that gave, all at once, so many signals of anger and the wish to destroy. Its face, its horns, its cold eyes watching me all brought fear into my mind, but I felt something more, something stranger and deeper. At that moment it felt to me some great error had been made that the creature should be allowed to stand in the Sun's pattern at all, that this bull belonged somewhere deep in the ground far within the mud and darkness, and its presence on the grass could only have awful consequences.

jenny grace

“What you must understand is that we’re a very special store. There are many children out there who would love to be able to choose you, choose Rosa, any one of you here. But it’s not possible for them. You’re beyond their reach. That’s why they come to the window, to dream about having you. But then they get sad.’

‘Manager, a child like that. Would a child like that have an AF at home?’

‘Perhaps not. Certainly not one like you. So if sometimes a child looks at you in an odd way, with bitterness or sadness, says something unpleasant through the glass, don’t think anything of it. Just remember. A child like that is most likely frustrated.”

“A child like that, with no AF, would surely be lonely.’

‘Yes, that too,’ Manager said quietly. ‘Lonely. Yes.”

“I noticed such things all the time, but said nothing”

“she was, in her own way, excited and observant, and as anxious as I was to prepare herself to be as kind and helpful an AF as possible. But the more I watched, the more I wanted to learn, and unlike Rosa, I became puzzled, then increasingly fascinated by the more mysterious emotions passers-by would display in front of us.”

“They fought as though the most important thing was to damage each other as much as possible. Their faces were twisted into horrible shapes, so that someone new might not even have realized they were people at all, and all the time they were punching each other, they shouted out cruel words.”

AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW '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, 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?

i loved the peeling-back narrative with Klara's point of view and the steady build of stakes at hand. sweet in its hold of spirituality and gentle in its explored relationships. i was left wanting more after the climax and wished the ending was given more room to breathe. but i would recommend as a timeless modern read

kate 

loved this, one of the best novels i’ve read in a while. i really enjoyed the perspective this is told from and how we learn about the world

julia

The way the book’s perspective juxtaposes spirituality and technology is very interesting. I felt like the author transpired some insight on wabisabi culture. Maybe a little more blasé than I’d have liked. The author could have explored society, fascist clusters and lifted children further rather than just setting it up as background for the plot.

Verônica Marcon

"From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara--an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities--watches carefully the behavior 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 forever, Klara she is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous tale, Klara and the Sun, Nobel Prize winner 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?"--

Midveil

This book has a <i>Small Wonder</i> Vicki-the-robot energy right out of the gate. I liked the beginning a lot, especially the store scenes where everything feels slightly off. The voice is clean and controlled, which works early on because it lets the strangeness sneak up on you as the details of this bleak but polite dystopian world come into focus. The whole setup is unsettling in a British way.<br /><br />But about halfway through, Klara started to annoy me. There’s only so much wide-eyed, earnest robot logic I can take before it turns from interesting to grating. Even the weird enhanced teenagers should have hit a breaking point and been like, enough. I dropped it to two stars in my head at one point, but the ending earned one back and dragged it to a three.

thya

Not very expansive with a limited set of characters. The book can't seem to decide what kind of story it wants to tell, if it wants to be warm, funny, cute or spiritual - and it too quickly jogs between all of them. The pacing is good and the story keeps moving forward at a good pace, and in general the story has a heartwarming conclusion. Could be a easy holiday read. 

Hamed Khalidi

I resumed reading this after having shelved it for nearly a year when I saw there was a trailer for the film adaptation coming out at the end of the year.

I enjoy the premise of the book, especially the question of AI and its growing place/influence in society. But the story could be a little robotic and a bit difficult to follow along, which might have been intentional since it is being told from the POV of… well… a robot.

I also felt like there was a lot of waffling in the mid section of the book, only for the end to be rushed. Josie’s recovery and Klara’s discardment happened in the span of a few pages yet we spent chapters and chapters discussing Klara’s negotiations with the Sun. 

I think I need to digest a little bit more to come up with a more fully fleshed out review but it was an okay enough read.

Nana O

I resumed reading this after having shelved it for nearly a year when I saw there was a trailer for the film adaptation coming out at the end of the year.

I enjoy the premise of the book, especially the question of AI and its growing place/influence in society. But the story could be a little robotic and a bit difficult to follow along, which might have been intentional since it is being told from the POV of… well… a robot.

I also felt like there was a lot of waffling in the mid section of the book, only for the end to be rushed. Josie’s recovery and Klara’s discardment happened in the span of a few pages yet we spent chapters and chapters discussing Klara’s negotiations with the Sun. 

I think I need to digest a little bit more to come up with a more fully fleshed out review but it was an okay enough read.

From the bestselling and Booker Prize winning author of Never Let me Go and The Remains of the Day, a stunning new novel - his first since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature - that asks, what does it mean to love? A thrilling feat of world-building, a novel of exquisite tenderness and impeccable restraint, Klara and the Sun is a magnificent achievement, and an international literary event.

wilu lim

To me, this definitely outweighs Never Let Me Go. The question that it poses to the reader about AI, I find more interesting and relevant. Also there is a lot of mystery about it which I really like while still remaining clear in its plot. Made me quite sad to finish because I feel like it took way too long to warm up and then the ending was too quick. Ishiguro's writing style is one of my favourite because it's so easy and doesn't require much attention but very imaginative.
I also felt attached to the characters which is always a good sign. I just felt so bad for Klara at the end but I think Josie is one of those characters who just annoyed me so much even though I know you're meant to feel bad for her.
Really want to read it again because I feel like it has a lot more nuance than you pick up the first time reading.

Forgot to review this a while back, but I loved it! It was beautifully written. There seem to be mixed reviews on it, but that seems to be a consequence of the current literacy crisis - sometimes things don’t need to be explained in excruciating detail to get the point across! And that’s okay !

elissa

Nadine MacDonald

I really thought this to be an interesting book, super cool and thought provoking. However wasn’t overly emotionally invested in it and found there were a couple boring parts. Happy to have read it, loved the ending

I love the subtly of this book. Some really interesting themes and plot points that I wasn’t expecting. I’ve never read any of his books however I am definitely going to read more 

Oisin Michael Russell 

Ben Hutchings

Felt abit too childish for me

Particularly the latter half

So not my normal cup of tea but actually loved it. Cute story from the perspective of an AI robot in a world which people hire then to be friends and teach shit to their kids. Looks at love and the world changing in a quirky way. Really enjoyed and made my brain think differently.  

Rebecca atkinson

Jules 

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 BOOKER PRIZE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, THE GUARDIAN, ESQUIRE, VOGUE, TIME, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE TIMES (UK), VULTURE, THE ECONOMIST, NPR, AND BOOKRIOT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SUMMER 2021 READING LIST The magnificent new novel from Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro--author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day. "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 forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In Klara and the Sun, 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?

“perhaps all humans are lonely. at least potentially”

klara often holds hands with ishiguro’s other novel 

 in terms of their themes and questions (what does it mean to be human? to have a heart, or a soul?), but what i love about klara is that her story leans into the innocence and faith within her character. we learn not just what it means to be human, but about loneliness, and empathy, and how we can find love and beauty anywhere as long as we have the eyes to find it

i’m fascinated by the polarizing reactions to 

. i know many people who love this novel and lift it up as their all-time favorite, but i know just as many others (if not more) who push it down and describe it as ishiguro’s weakest. i fall into the former (obviously, with the 5 star rating), but i still think there are many noticeable flaws in this novel; it’s not unfair to call 

 underdeveloped.... perhaps not as complex as what you'd find elsewhere with ishiguro 

my love for klara does, admittedly, come from a source of significant personal bias: klara’s interest in humanity and family and her relationship with josie often reminds me of paddington, which in turn reminds me of my mom. i also personally resonate with the themes and beliefs in this book, which keep me coming back. empathy, grief, solitude, and the beauty of the human soul are all things i look for in a book; since this is the core of the whole narrative and klara as a character, i think this book really just.... defines me. as a person

regarding genre: there are dystopian qualities to 

, but i would argue this is moreso a celebration of humanity than it is a cautionary tale. the "dystopian" traits in this book moreso center around the setting and time, and what's implied in terms of how we get there as a species. klara's place in the world (especially her place in josie's family) is that of a warm hug

and of course, the question that’s always asked in an ishiguro novel that isn’t mentioned much here: is klara an unreliable narrator? she’s certainly more transparent than some of ishiguro’s other protagonists like ryder or banks, but i would say an argument can still be made for the gaps in her narration. i’ll try to pay more attention to this in my next reread

“perhaps all humans are lonely. at least potentially”

ishiguro at his most accessible

klara often holds hands with ishiguro’s other novel never let me go in terms of their themes and questions (what does it mean to be human? to have a heart, or a soul?), but what i love about klara is that her story leans into the innocence and faith within her character. we learn not just what it means to be human, but about loneliness, and empathy, and how we can find love and beauty anywhere as long as we have the eyes to find it

i’m fascinated by the polarizing reactions to klara and the sun. i know many people who love this novel and lift it up as their all-time favorite, but i know just as many others (if not more) who push it down and describe it as ishiguro’s weakest. i fall into the former (obviously, with the 5 star rating), but i still think there are many noticeable flaws in this novel; it’s not unfair to call klara and the sun underdeveloped.... perhaps not as complex as what you'd find elsewhere with ishiguro 

my love for klara does, admittedly, come from a source of significant personal bias: klara’s interest in humanity and family and her relationship with josie often reminds me of paddington, which in turn reminds me of my mom. i also personally resonate with the themes and beliefs in this book, which keep me coming back. empathy, grief, solitude, and the beauty of the human soul are all things i look for in a book; since this is the core of the whole narrative and klara as a character, i think this book really just.... defines me. as a person

regarding genre: there are dystopian qualities to klara and the sun, but i would argue this is moreso a celebration of humanity than it is a cautionary tale. the "dystopian" traits in this book moreso center around the setting and time, and what's implied in terms of how we get there as a species. klara's place in the world (especially her place in josie's family) is that of a warm hug

and of course, the question that’s always asked in an ishiguro novel that isn’t mentioned much here: is klara an unreliable narrator? she’s certainly more transparent than some of ishiguro’s other protagonists like ryder or banks, but i would say an argument can still be made for the gaps in her narration. i’ll try to pay more attention to this in my next reread

A very timely story to read with the surge of AI in present day. At times it was hard to fully understand what was going on, but that very much felt by design. I found myself feeling genuinely sad for Klara at times; full well knowing that at the end of the day, she was just an Artificial Friend. 

Elyse 

The ending did it for me. Beautiful writing, and can’t wait to see the film. 

Ani Velasquez

when i made it to part four i felt the book was so dragged on; it made me drop the book. but i feel like it was the right place that i stopped reading, because i was met with overwhelming and melancholic segments that finally made me finish this book, all in one sitting.

darryl ✦

The beginning one-third was a slow burn, but the rest sits with you for a good while.

cha ☁️

klara's perspective is so pure and observant, it makes you rethink what it means to be human. the way she sees the sun, not just as energy but as something sacred, it’s both beautiful and unsettling. Ishiguro doesn’t just tell a story; he makes you sit with questions about love, sacrifice, and the limits of technology. it’s slow in parts, but that slowness forces you to really feel the weight of it all.

Simple language but boy did it engage. I had difficulty putting it down. Seemingly straightforward story but I’m sure I’ll be mulling over some aspects of it for a long time to come. Definitely one of the greats of our time.

This book is the one I read after a rather long reading slump. What I like about this book is how it lets us view the world and humanity from the perspective of an artificial friend—slash robot—as well as showing just how complex human emotions really are. However, in terms of plot, there are probably many other books out there that are more compelling. I would never say this book is bad because I quite enjoy Kazuo Ishiguro's writing style and language, even if the story moves at a slower pace.

gitsa

Jess Z

Slow and tenderly written book. Really enjoyed the pace and care fullness. 

antonia maria wagner she/they

“Perhaps,” I said eventually, “the Mother thought if she stayed with Josie all the time, Josie would be less lonely.”

“If that were true, if Josie really would be less lonely with the Mother, then I'd happily go away.”

“But who says I'm lonely? I'm not lonely.”

“Perhaps all humans are lonely. At least potentially."

A thought provoking look at the world through the eyes of a seemingly conscious AI, some beautiful descriptions and a story arc I didn’t fully see coming, but it felt a little lacking towards the end.

Klara and the Sun Sunday Times Number One Bestseller

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