In his memories, Stevens is often seen defending Lord Darlington’s seemingly dubious anti-Semitic actions during the fragile years of the late 1930s. Quite soon, the book institutes Stevens’s reverence for his employer. As he travels from one stop-over to another, Stevens confronts memories of his brief encounters with Lord Darlington’s guests during dinners, luncheons, and private meetings while assigning meaning to his decorum in the challenging situations. Moving back and forth in time, The Remains of the Day is a narrative of an aging butler reminiscing about events occurring at Darlington Hall during the built-up years of world war 2.
As rare time-off away from work, the journey triggers a curious response in him and Stevens begins to reflect on fragmented memories of his time spent serving Lord Darlington alongside Miss Kempton. Upon receiving a letter from Miss Kempton, a former colleague, Stevens takes a short trip to pay her a visit. Raised with a conscientious attitude towards his profession, he leads a life dictated by the instructions, wishes, and disposition of his employer. Stevens is a man with a strong work ethic who takes enormous pride in his job as a butler to Lord Darlington. The Remains of the Day is a heart-wrenching story of a man’s past dominated by a staunch commitment to work and its bearing on a life not lived well enough. Kazuo Ishiguro through this simple, eloquently told, well-crafted novel extends insights into the heart of the principle of dignity while ascertaining its worth. The Remains of the Day book review tries to understand the meaning of a life invested heavily in principles.
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