Klara and the Sun

[Anonymous]

I loved it. Still mulling over the overall message. Curious about real people’s opinions, since no professional critics want to touch a Nobel laureate. Agree/ disagree with conclusions on AI? Does the sun represent god??

[Anonymous]

I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

This really, really makes me want to read it, but I tried to read "The Unconsoled" by Ishiguro many years ago after reading "When We Were Orphans" and I am wary. The Unconsoled is a scar. But Never Let Me Go is a complete masterpiece.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

This really, really makes me want to read it, but I tried to read "The Unconsoled" by Ishiguro many years ago after reading "When We Were Orphans" and I am wary. The Unconsoled is a scar. But Never Let Me Go is a complete masterpiece.

I generally like Ishiguro but similarly also could not get through "The Unconsoled". "The Remains of the Day" is another book with interesting themes that is worth checking out if you haven't already. I even prefer it over "Never Let me Go".

Recently I heard an interview with Ishiguro on a podcast and was very impressed. Usually interviews with creatives (especially novelists) are self-indulgent and tiresome, but I found him to be extraordinarily thoughtful, humble, and intelligent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

This really, really makes me want to read it, but I tried to read "The Unconsoled" by Ishiguro many years ago after reading "When We Were Orphans" and I am wary. The Unconsoled is a scar. But Never Let Me Go is a complete masterpiece.

I generally like Ishiguro but similarly also could not get through "The Unconsoled". "The Remains of the Day" is another book with interesting themes that is worth checking out if you haven't already. I even prefer it over "Never Let me Go".

Recently I heard an interview with Ishiguro on a podcast and was very impressed. Usually interviews with creatives (especially novelists) are self-indulgent and tiresome, but I found him to be extraordinarily thoughtful, humble, and intelligent.

The Unconsoled is the ONLY book by Ishiguro that I've managed to finish ever. Though I did personally feel deeply unconsoled when I got to the end of it...The Buried Giant I got about 1/2 way through, When we were Orphans I abandoned earlier and I never even started The Remains of the Day.

I am enjoying Klara and the Sun. I do think he is a writing genius. It is just about personal taste / attention spans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

This really, really makes me want to read it, but I tried to read "The Unconsoled" by Ishiguro many years ago after reading "When We Were Orphans" and I am wary. The Unconsoled is a scar. But Never Let Me Go is a complete masterpiece.

I generally like Ishiguro but similarly also could not get through "The Unconsoled". "The Remains of the Day" is another book with interesting themes that is worth checking out if you haven't already. I even prefer it over "Never Let me Go".

Recently I heard an interview with Ishiguro on a podcast and was very impressed. Usually interviews with creatives (especially novelists) are self-indulgent and tiresome, but I found him to be extraordinarily thoughtful, humble, and intelligent.

The Unconsoled is the ONLY book by Ishiguro that I've managed to finish ever. Though I did personally feel deeply unconsoled when I got to the end of it...The Buried Giant I got about 1/2 way through, When we were Orphans I abandoned earlier and I never even started The Remains of the Day.

I am enjoying Klara and the Sun. I do think he is a writing genius. It is just about personal taste / attention spans.

PP here - I feel like the book jacket should have said - "this is what you will be if you read this!" That said, there are parts of that book that really have stuck with me so maybe I should give it another shot.

I think he is a brilliant writer - very varied settings and plots and each book stands alone in a way. From the summary of Klara and the Sun, it seems like he's sticking a little bit to the question of humanity and ethics.

[Anonymous]

I read Never Let Me Go at the beginning of the year and absolutely loved it--maybe one of my favorite books ever. I haven't read any of his other books yet and am so excited to read Klara and the Sun. I feel like I want to take a week off work and just read it all the way through. Ha!

[Anonymous]

I liked it but I wish there had been less about the sun (which yes Klara, as a solar powered machine, has gone to see as a type of God) and more about the world they lived in. More about the genetic engineering, more about the sister, more about the father and the substitutions, and especially more about the “portraitist” and his crazy scheme and if/how it worked for other clients.

The hey art about the sun was so long and boring. The rest was incredibly interesting but he hardly explored it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the book, and I thought it circled back to the themes that made Never Let Me Go so poignant (but I still thought Never Let Me Go was better) Are there ethical implications when we use AI as a means to an end? Who are the true winners and losers in a hypercompetitive capitalist economy. I wish he explored the genetic engineering process more fully because I think it was an interesting plot point that just came in at the end.
I would watch a movie adaptation of it as I think it could be done very well with the right production and actors.

This really, really makes me want to read it, but I tried to read "The Unconsoled" by Ishiguro many years ago after reading "When We Were Orphans" and I am wary. The Unconsoled is a scar. But Never Let Me Go is a complete masterpiece.

So I just finished it as an audiobook. Spoilers below!

Like others, I think this particular book would have benefited from a little more outright explanation of what was going on. I also felt it suffered from a tendency to dwell a little too long on some things/meander.

I didn't really feel like I needed any more explanation of the genetic engineering/"lifting," but why did the kids all have private tutors? At first I though the AF was a status symbol (and I guess it kind of was) but it was also because the kids were always at home and would be lonely/needed to practice socializing, but why was that the case? That left a big hole for me.

The other thing that I just did not get was when Klara would describe her vision being divided into boxes. It didn't seem to happen all the time and also didn't seem to serve a purpose. Perhaps I've got too much pandemically on my mind, but I kept waiting for a virus or illness to be discussed that would require isolating the kids and thought maybe the boxes were an immune shield - akin to a mask?

The characters were really well done, with the exception, oddly, of Josie, who was kind of two dimensional. I felt like that by the end that was appropriate as she did exactly what she had been groomed to do and abandoned Klara to boot. I would have liked more of the Father's story and less of Rick's mother, Helen. The tangent where Helen brings Rick to meet her ex-lover to help get him into college, was just bizarre. Really loved the undercurrent of haves/have nots and the notion of the have nots organizing into self-preserving communities.

And who can ever forget Melania Housekeeper. Amazing.

[Anonymous]

I thought the boxes were pixelization, or something: that she sees but not the way people see. I was curious what you thought about the end. Who visits her in the junkyard? Is it really the Manager? The limp makes it seem like it’s Josie. Or is it nobody, and Klara just thinks it’s someone she loves because she’s loving (and low on her precious fluid)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought the boxes were pixelization, or something: that she sees but not the way people see. I was curious what you thought about the end. Who visits her in the junkyard? Is it really the Manager? The limp makes it seem like it’s Josie. Or is it nobody, and Klara just thinks it’s someone she loves because she’s loving (and low on her precious fluid)?

The smart commenters at Amazon described it as tessellated vision, where she initially see things she's not familiar with in separate "tiles" that come together as a solid picture once she's absorbed enough information to process what she's seeing. Which is an interesting tidbit I guess.

I did think it was the Manager at the end, based on the conversation they had. But it's possible it was Josie, as she describes memories running together. I wish there was a little more explanation about how she ended up in the yard. It seemed incongruous with how the mother defended her from becoming a guinea pig for Dr. Capaldi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I liked it but I wish there had been less about the sun (which yes Klara, as a solar powered machine, has gone to see as a type of God) and more about the world they lived in. More about the genetic engineering, more about the sister, more about the father and the substitutions, and especially more about the “portraitist” and his crazy scheme and if/how it worked for other clients.

The hey art about the sun was so long and boring. The rest was incredibly interesting but he hardly explored it.

I really agree. I listened to the audiobook and I think it was a mix of totally brilliant and totally unfulfilling. I keep struggling to put into words exactly what I found unfulfilling.

SPOILERS:::::

++++


Just for some big one: Why did the father go along with the plan to ruin that machine? Was she going to fade out whether they took out some liquid or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked it but I wish there had been less about the sun (which yes Klara, as a solar powered machine, has gone to see as a type of God) and more about the world they lived in. More about the genetic engineering, more about the sister, more about the father and the substitutions, and especially more about the “portraitist” and his crazy scheme and if/how it worked for other clients.

The hey art about the sun was so long and boring. The rest was incredibly interesting but he hardly explored it.

I really agree. I listened to the audiobook and I think it was a mix of totally brilliant and totally unfulfilling. I keep struggling to put into words exactly what I found unfulfilling.

SPOILERS:::::

++++




Just for some big one: Why did the father go along with the plan to ruin that machine? Was she going to fade out whether they took out some liquid or not?

I think he knew it was a crazy idea to kill a cooting machine with the precious liquid from Klara's body sounds almost like a sacrifice to keep Josie alive. So in a way, he, as a grieving father, became a part of Klara's religion. He needed any kind of hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked it but I wish there had been less about the sun (which yes Klara, as a solar powered machine, has gone to see as a type of God) and more about the world they lived in. More about the genetic engineering, more about the sister, more about the father and the substitutions, and especially more about the “portraitist” and his crazy scheme and if/how it worked for other clients.

The hey art about the sun was so long and boring. The rest was incredibly interesting but he hardly explored it.

I really agree. I listened to the audiobook and I think it was a mix of totally brilliant and totally unfulfilling. I keep struggling to put into words exactly what I found unfulfilling.

SPOILERS:::::

++++




Just for some big one: Why did the father go along with the plan to ruin that machine? Was she going to fade out whether they took out some liquid or not?

I think he knew it was a crazy idea to kill a cooting machine with the precious liquid from Klara's body sounds almost like a sacrifice to keep Josie alive. So in a way, he, as a grieving father, became a part of Klara's religion. He needed any kind of hope.

“Hope,' he said. 'Damn thing never leaves you alone.”

[Anonymous]

I have loved Ishiguro books in the past (even the one set in the Dark Ages), but this one felt like homework.