Book Review: The Remains of The Day

“If you are under the impression that you have already perfected yourself, you will never rise to the heights you are no doubt capable of'“ 

            Where oh where, shall I begin with this story? I can hear your thoughts saying, ‘from the beginning, of course’. But even starting at the beginning won’t help with this particular story written by Kazuo Ishiguro. And I say that because it’s a story about looking into the past and, as such, the past (1920’s-30’s) is technically the beginning. But the story takes place in the 1950’s. See my conundrum? But I could start with our main character, Mr Stevens. The head butler of Darlington Hall- a very grand and prestigious English country house. This house has recently been brought by a nouveau riche American by the name of Mr Faraday after Lord Darlington had died three years ago. It is decided, one day by Mr Faraday, that Mr Stevens should take a few days off; has he even had a holiday? The answer is no. never in the entire time of his working at Darlington Hall has Stevens had a holiday. Days off sure. But Holidays? Nope. So, Mr Faraday all but packs him off to the west country, lending Stevens his rather snazzy Ford and saying he’ll pay for the expense of the petrol. Nice guy. There is a small problem with Faraday, and that is because he is American. Now before my American readers get offended, Stevens is of the stiff-upper-lip-all-very-round-and-proper type of Englishman and therefore cultures will clash. Faraday likes banter, Stevens doesn’t know how to banter or even where to begin. Banter doesn’t really fall in line with what ‘one considers a great butler to be’. Like I said, ‘very proper’. But as Stevens embarks on his little trip into the West Country, he takes a trip down many a country lane and co-incidentally, memory lane too. 

            Stevens is a man who takes great pride in his work, that much is absolutely sure. He talks of Darlington Hall in its hay day when Lord Darlington ran it and was a man of great importance. He talks of the times during the first world war and its aftermath. How Lord Darlington would try in any way to relieve Germany of the great burden of debt that the allied forces had given her. I mean open a history book and see; the allies were pretty brutal to Germany after the first world war. America was lenient, the British were pretty peeved, but the French and the Belgian’s were woefully unforgiving. Lord Darlington held conferences in order to lighten the load on Germany. However, there was one person in particular, and he was a Frenchman, M. Dupont, who was mightily opposed to any such action against what had been already agreed in the Armistice. Yet there is hope on the horizon, at a conference at Darlington Hall, progress is being made and maybe Dupont might come around? But wait! Stevens is running the show and he has his father in tow, his father was a great butler too, but he is getting pretty old now and is constantly making mistakes and alarming guests by falling all over the place and is currently pretty ill during this conference, but Stevens is too busy worrying about how this might impact his work. Yeah. Take a breather. Stevens' father. Where to begin? He is getting old and when it comes to being old, you slow down rather a lot, you’re not as quick as you once were and as such, Stevens removes a lot of responsibility from his father shoulders. I think it came as quite a shock. Stevens told his father not as a son but as a butler. With high professionalism. There was no emotion, no feeling, no regard for the man as his father. When the time comes, and his father is on his death bed his father earnestly asks him ‘was I a good father to you? Because I don’t think I was a good father, was I?’ And all that Stevens can say is ‘I’m so glad you’re feeling better. So, so glad’. This is a quaint example of toxic masculinity because as a reader you could tell that Stevens was not comfortable in this situation of voicing his feelings or even confronting the idea that his father is dying. True, he could just be in denial, but look at the way he speaks to his father when he relieves his of certain duties! Tut, tut. Bad. So very bad Stevens. This chapter ended with Stevens remarking how proud he was that he contributed to such a historic conference in such a small way at Darlington Hall. Which tells you everything you need to know. 

            We have another pretty big character in this novel. One who could’ve made everything so much sweeter, kinder, softer. And that is Miss Kenton. Now we like Miss Kenton for all the reasons: one, because she is able to stand the heck up to Stevens and two, because she is a go getter. Case in point she hired a maid, one that Stevens thought to be highly unsuitable. But with training and supervision from said Miss Kenton, oh my! Did this maid become an amazing worker! However, that being said this maid did run off to get married to one of the footmen, much to Miss Kenton’s disappointment, probably because she saw so much of herself in this maid. Shame. However, Miss Kenton is flawed, like any other human being. Lord Darlington became under the influence of some nasty people, people who were later known as ‘Black Shirts’ (unsure, google it) Lord Darlington asks Stevens one day if there are any Jews amongst the staff. There are two, both of whom are maids under Miss Kenton. Lord Darlington says that he doesn’t want any Jews working in the house on staff, Stevens understands the situation and goes to execute his orders accordingly. Miss Kenton has had these maids with her for over six years and they’re good at what they do and haven’t done anything world. Except be Jewish. Naturally she is furious because she sees this reasoning as so abhorrently wrong, and she is right. Stevens doesn’t have the spine to say no or to object to Lord Darlington because he believes it’s not his place. But Miss Kenton says it should be! And she is absolutely right. She threatens to leave if these orders are to be done. And indeed, they are. But Miss Kenton never leaves, it’s not until later that she bitterly regrets not doing so.

            So, it is thus that we come to the end of this tale. After a long drive Miss Kenton- now Mrs Benn and Stevens meet again. It is with a tone of bitter regret that Mrs Benn now says, ‘I do wonder what life would’ve been like with you’ at which point Stevens’s heart breaks. Because, dear reader, it is obvious, he loved her and had missed his chance, all in the name of being professional. And she had loved him too but didn’t know that he had loved her back. It ends with Stevens throwing himself back into his work, to become much better at banter for Mr Faraday and to be a very good butler indeed.

            My takeaway from all of this, and the reason why you should read this book is because: Good God! If you love someone, have a crush on them or think they’re pretty or attractive in anyway? Tell them! Because a lifetime might pass only for you to find out that they loved you too - but you were fool enough to let them pass you by.