I really tried to enjoy it, as I know it's a Nobel Prize winning book, but I just don't see what is so great about it. Interestingly, I thought this author's other book Never Let Me Go was profound and thought provoking, but not this one.
It's clear the message it tries to send, but the way the lead character acts towards the situations involving his father and Miss Kenton were so absurdly unrealistic and lacking in humanity IMO that I cannot imagine any sane person behaving like that in real life. I feel the story tries to bash you over the head with it's main message about the perils of wasting one's life on misguided notions of professionalism, but IMO the message fails because I don't believe anyone would behave like that in real life to begin with.
The book tries to imply that this was cultural for butlers, but I just have a hard time believing that all butlers in England somehow just checked their brains and humanity at the door to do their jobs. In fact, Stevens' own father is…well…a father, which means his father had a personal life and a child even though Stevens believes his father to be the epitome of a dignified butler. And even if we're just strictly talking about professionalism, a key part of professionalism and being a leader of a team is to maintain good relationships with colleagues, including seeking to understand their feelings. How is it professional to not even say a word of condolence when a colleague is grieving the loss of a family member?
Also, it's very weird that someone as clear minded and intelligent as Miss Kenton would in any way be attracted to Stevens, who shows her almost no redeeming qualities that I can see. He showed no ability for independent thought, empathy, or humanity. He treated her, his father, and the two maids that were fired for discriminatory reasons like trash.
Ok, /endrant. Would love to hear others' thoughts on this book.
by birdwatching25