The Remains of the Day-Final Thoughts
and Discussion Questions
Welcome to Reading Revisited, a place for friends to enjoy some good old-fashioned book chat while revisiting the truth, beauty, and goodness we’ve found in our favorite books.
Hello Reading Friends,
I am a little late on getting these final thoughts out because we went last minute family camping (and it went great). It was my first time camping in a LONG time and I had never gone with small children so I was nervous, but it was a success and lots of family fun was had. I now have all the thoughts about camping with kids.
In true bookish fashion I had the difficult task of deciding which book to bring with me camping. I knew I couldn’t simply bring the book I was already reading like an ordinary person. No. I had to choose the perfect family camping book to enjoy and meditate on in the five minutes I might have to myself while camping with 6 kids under 9. I am here to report that I picked the perfect book for this situation….
I decided to reread Hannah Coulter! After thinking about Jayber Crow for Book Drop Day, reading ’s piece on Revisiting Hannah Coulter, and then chatting with Hannah on the podcast about my favorite books (hint: Hannah Coulter is in my top 5) I have been dying to reread this book for over a month now. However, my to read stack (and currently reading stack) is perpetually on the precipice of toppling and in that state of danger how could I possibly add another book to it, especially one I’ve already read at least twice?
It was perfect! I did not finish it, but I read enough to get back into the world of Port William, fall in love with Virgil Feltner, and have reawakened the spark of the womanly vocation from Hannah. I will be finishing it in my first few days back in the A/C with a cushion under my bum. If you haven’t read Hannah Coulter yet, I strongly encourage you to do so before we read Jayber Crow in October.
Okay, bookish tangent over and onto to actual business….
I finished The Remains of the Day last week and it was just as beautiful as I remembered. I definitely cried and can’t wait to chat about it with you all at book club in the coming weeks! Here are some thoughts as you read and get ready to discuss (I will try my best to keep it short)….
Day Three Morning
Stevens is practicing witticisms so robotically. Is this a personality he was born with or has it been conditioned by his “always professional” attitude?
Lord Darlington may have been in cahoots with Nazis, but the silver was beautiful….
Stevens is analyzing Miss Kenton’s letter (only professionally, he promises) kind of like I am analyzing this book.
Day Three Evening
Miss Kenton seems just as good at her job, but actually has a personal life…why not Stevens?
“why do you always have to pretend?”
-Miss KentonIs Stevens’ car trouble a sign that he too is “losing it” like his dad did?
The butler’s pantry seems to be an objective correlative for Stevens’ closed off heart.
The incident with the book. It is a love story and he won’t share it with Miss Kenton. He is studying love, but then can’t recognize it in real life when it is literally right in front of him.
Stevens re-introduces us to Mr. Graham like we had no idea who he is, except that we do. Does Stevens forget he already wrote about him?
Now Stevens is requiring written messages (an echo of Miss Kenton earlier in the book).
But then, I suppose, when with the benefit of hindsight one begins to search one’s past for such ‘turning points,’ one is apt to start seeing them everywhere.
(175)Stevens being confused with a great gentleman is so appropriate since his identity is so tied up with that of his employer.
Does he get confused for Lord Darlington the same amount of times as he denies him? This reminds me of Peter denying Jesus (I am not equating Darlington to Jesus)
The story within the story of “being unable to assist in the matter”…he was being of service by not being of service.
How can one possibly be held to blame in any sense because, say, the passage of time has shown that Lord Darlington’s efforts were misguided, even foolish? Throughout the years I served him, it was he and he along who weighed up evidence and judged it best to proceed in the way he did, while I simply confined myself, quite properly, to affairs within my own professional realm…it is quite illogical that I should feel any regret or shame on my own account.
Day Four Afternoon
Dignity is not “removing one’s clothing in public”….I assume this is why Stevens can only have a professional life.
I love memory novels…the associating of ideas with certain times and then realizing you’re wrong. This is how actual memory works as well.
It took me this far into the book to realize that the Stevens we are getting as the narrator isn’t the real Stevens. There are clues all through the book that he is more vulnerable than he appears.
The conversations with Miss Kenton and Mr. Cardinal mirror each other…
It is not my place to be curious about such matters
(222)
He ends this chapter feeling triumphant and again, I am only sad for what he has missed.
Day Six Evening
This is the first time in the novel that we have skipped a whole day…why?
Of course, with the bleak light falling on her face, I could hardly help but notice the lines that had appeared here and there. But by and large the Miss Kenton I saw before me looked surprisingly similar to the person who had inhabited my memory over these years.
Should we have sympathy for Lord Darlington? Miss Kenton does…
I love finally meeting Miss Kenton and seeing how different memories have different interpretations…have I said that I love memory novels?
After all, there’s no turning back the clock now. One can’t be forever dwelling on what might have been. One should realize one has as good as most, perhaps better, and be grateful.
why should I not admit it?- at that moment, my heart was breaking.
Stevens is crying again and he never tells us
And at the end…we are back to bantering. It comes full circle.
And I will leave you with a few quotes instead of my own thoughts about the end of the book because it is said so well…
His claim was that for a great many people, the evening was the best part of the day, the part they most looked forward to….Of course, the man had been speaking figuratively, but it is rather interesting to see his words borne out so immediately at the literal level.
I thought it appropriate to reveal my identity…
I find I do not have a great deal more left to give…More and more errors are appearing in my work…I know what they signify…I have it all to Lord Darlington.
I can’t even say I made my own mistakes. Really- one has to ask oneself- what dignity is there in that?
I have remained here…I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day.
It is possibly that these particular persons are simply united by the anticipation of the evening ahead. But, then, I rather fancy it has more to do with this skill of bantering…particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth
Discussion Questions and Thoughts
Everyone share a favorite scene or quote from the novel.
Compare this memory novel with Crossing to Safety (also a memory novel).
Are there other memory novels we have read to compare with this? Or other novels you have read on your own?
Are you a “fan” of the memory novel?
Is Stevens’ personality learned or is there something else going on?
Was there an equivalent of Lord Darlington in real history? I would love to hear some historical thoughts on the novel.
Discuss the way the novel plays with time.
Discuss the themes of the professional vs. the private life in the novel.
Discuss the techniques Ishiguro uses to use the first person narrator in order to get us to love him and mistrust him at the same time. This seems like a technical feat to me…
In Crossing to Safety Sally was the character we could most trust and helped us to see clearly, does Miss Kenton fill that role in this book? Is it a similar experience or are there differences?
Discuss the title and the significance of the last scene.
Does Stevens experience suffering that will change him by his heart breaking?
Discuss the bantering theme throughout the book.
Until next time, keep revisiting the good books that enrich your life and nourish your soul.
In Case You Missed It
Our first ever Reading Revisited Podcast with interviewing about her “Bookish Bio”
A Few Reminders
Next up is East of Eden by John Steinbeck…keep an eye out for reading thoughts by this month!
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Book lists from previous years can be found here.
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Hi Kelsie! I loved the book club last night as everyone had such wonderful and insightful thoughts. The Remains of Day is a book that, even when finished, I continue to ponder all the things that were happening with Mr. Stevens and of course Miss Kenton. Something that I have been thinking a lot about today has to do with the scene where Lord Darlington's guest ask Mr. Stevens to come into the room because they want to ask him questions about world affairs. Of course, in good professional fashion, Mr. Stevens gives the answer the men were looking for "I'm very sorry, sir, I said, but I am unable to be of assistance on this matter." This went on for a couple of minutes, with Mr. Stevens giving the same answer. At last Mr. Spencer responds by saying, "You see gentlemen, Mr. Spencer said, turning to the others, our man is unable to assist is in these matters." Mr. Spencer and the other gentlemen, including Lord Darlington all laugh at this. He then goes on to explain that everyday citizens in a country are not the ones who should be making decisions, but rather those men who know what is good for all. This really has me thinking that Mr. Stevens never really holds an opinion or thinks about things, beyond the duties of the house, for himself. As he states at the end of the book, he just trusted Lord Darlington with all the decisions in such matters. He took on the thoughts and opinions of Lord Darlington rather than looking at the issues himself and forming an opinion based on what was right and what was the moral duty of one durning those difficult times. Mr. Stevens feels this is his "duty" if you will, and to be a 'good butler" one must perform their duty with dignity. This duty with dignity, really didn't allow Mr. Stevens to think for himself, nor did he really question the actions of Lord Darlington at the time. Just some thought I had today. Thank you again for introducing me to this wonderful book!