Stevens, the butler, has served Lord Darlington for 30+ years. through two World Wars. When Darlington passes away, the estate is sold to an American, Mr. Farraday. Farraday suggests Stevens take a few days and motor around England. It's 1956. Stevens decides to accept the offer and sets off to meet Ms. Kenton, a housekeeper who worked at the estate 20 years earlier. A letter he recently received hinted she might be seeking a return to Darlington House.

As Stevens motors through the country, he has for the first time in decades, time to reminisce, to mull over his past and that of Darlington and Ms. Kenton. He thinks of Darlington's efforts, after WWI, to ease the debt burden inflicted on the losing Germany. He thinks about the powerful figures who visited and hopes that he, Stevens, might have played a small part in changing history by being a great butler.

But he also sees what he's missed. (Or does he? That's the question.)

Ishiguro has created a figure, Stevens, and kept true to him throughout the novel. He talks and acts just like a butler. Ishiguro raises so many questions about life, dignity, causes, the commoner vs. the lords, the amateurs vs. the professionals. Lord Darlington was manipulated by the Nazi regime pre-WWII yet Stevens seems to have no opinion on it. True to his master.

There is so much to discuss and ponder in this award winning book (Booker Award, 1989), that there is no space to discuss it all. I highly recommend everyone read it. ( )

I have only dim memories of the film version of this book, but after reading the novel I must watch it again to judge how this beautifully controlled and nuanced book has been translated onto the screen. Reading the book through the eyes of Stevens, the butler-narrator, one can practically feel the self-control exerted to maintain that dignity he attaches to the profession, and what it costs him in human terms. The most chilling parts, are perhaps, those dealing with his father, rather than Miss Kenton. ( )

The effect of this 1989 Booker Prize winner is mostly cumulative. It tells the story of very dignified, very professional butler Mr. Stevens as he journeys to meet the former housekeeper of the house where he has spent much of his life working as well as his reflections on his past career. Stevens, whose life has been subsumed by that of his employer, is very controlled throughout, and it is only at the end when he lets some of that control slip a little, that the emotional power of the novel is felt. The book also portrays some of the differences in pre- and postwar British society. Ishiguro writes beautifully, and while overall it is a very melancholy novel, there are also quite a few funny scenes. ( )

A relaxing, introspective read. I looked forward to getting back to it when I had to put it down. ( )

This novel had me laughing out loud at points, I have to say. The narrator is brilliantly developed as a character, and the reader learns more about him and unfolding events from what isn't said than what is. The unintentionally (intentionally on the part of the author) hilarious bits of dialogue that reveal how clueless Stevens is when it comes to matters outside of protocol really made the book for me; at the very least, I'll recommend it to friends based on that. ( )