The Remains Of The Day Novel

So, you’ve heard of The Remains of the Day, the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro? It’s the one about a butler so repressed he makes Buckingham Palace look like a frat house. This book is the ultimate guide on how not to have a personality. Seriously, if this guy were a spice, he’d be flour.

Meet Stevens: The Butler Who Forgot to Have a Life

Our hero, Mr. Stevens, is a butler for Lord Darlington, a British aristocrat with the diplomatic instincts of a startled goose. Stevens believes dignity means never showing emotion, even if a giraffe is tap-dancing in the drawing room. His idea of a wild Saturday night is polishing the silver until it screams for mercy. You’ll root for this guy, but also want to shake him until his monocle falls off.

The whole story is a road trip, but not the fun kind with snacks and questionable gas stations. Stevens takes a car trip to visit a former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, who he might have loved if he weren't so busy worrying about napkin folds. It’s like a romantic comedy directed by a mime—lots of feeling, zero talking.

The Plot? It’s Mostly Napping and Regret

Here’s the surprise: almost nothing happens in the present day. The real drama is in Stevens’ memories, where he served a Nazi-sympathizing boss and ignored the one woman who made him human. Spoiler alert: Lord Darlington was not a good guy. He was basically the human version of a "Kick Me" sign, but for world politics.

Ishiguro wrote this book in 1989, and it won the Booker Prize, which is like the Oscars for books but with more tea and tweed. What’s bananas is that Stevens is completely unreliable as a narrator. He’ll describe a heartbreak like it’s a mild inconvenience, like a dropped tea tray. You’ll finish the book thinking, “Did I just read a tragedy or a very long joke about a broken man?”

Verve Book Club: “Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro - Shames JCC

The “Fun” Parts: Awkward Silences and Perfect Suits

Fun fact: The movie version stars Anthony Hopkins, who does the best “repressed British-butler face” since the invention of monocles. But the book is funnier because Stevens’ internal monologue is pure gold. He calls a disastrous political dinner a “small, unfortunate misunderstanding.” That’s like calling the Titanic a “slight boating mishap.”

And let’s talk about Miss Kenton. She is the flame to Stevens’ moth, but he’s too busy counting teaspoons to notice. At one point, she literally cries in front of him, and he offers her a biscuit. A biscuit! That’s like putting a Band-Aid on a volcano. You’ll laugh, cringe, and wonder if Ishiguro secretly worked in a retirement home.

The Remains of the Day. - Raptis Rare Books | Fine Rare and Antiquarian

Why You Should Read It (Even if You Hate Snobs)

Look, this novel is not a thriller. It’s a slow burn, like watching grass grow while someone explains stamp collecting. But it’s also a genius takedown of the British class system. Stevens’ “dignity” is actually just fear of being human. He chases a job so hard he misses his own life—a trap we all fall into, just with less silver polish.

The final scene is a gut punch. Stevens realizes he “can’t even call his own soul his own.” It’s sad, but also hilarious in a dark way. You’ll close the book thinking, “Note to self: don’t be a butler; hug a friend once in a while.” So grab a copy, pour some Earl Grey, and prepare to meet the most fascinating bore in literary history. Just don’t expect a car chase—unless it’s a slow crawl toward a very awkward apology.