"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguru.

Unbelievably, a month has gone by since our last report! This time, we read and discussed Kazuo Ishiguro's acclaimed 1989 Booker Prize winner. Several of us had read this book many years ago (and some of us had seen the perfectly cast film with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson), while others were new to it.

Everyone admired the quality of the writing and the subtlety of the characterisation. A few had struggled to get into it but then found themselves enthralled by the emotions running beneath the stiff propriety of the ageing butler, Mr Stevens. Most of us wanted to shake him at various points, and were left with a feeling of sadness at his inability to express his feelings and the damage this had done to the lives of those around him. We agreed that the book was very English and perfectly evoked the society and class structure of the period just after World War 1. A couple were annoyed by what they termed as ‘waffle’ when Stevens veers into self-protective avoidance of his feelings and focuses on his prized ideal of ‘dignity’. And one of us had started the book but her ‘general irritation at anyone taking pride in their own servitude had kept getting in the way’.

Our next reading group meeting will be on Tuesday 14 November when we will be discussing 'The Children of Men' by P.D. James. New members are always welcome!