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The Remains of the Day is a profoundly compelling portrait of the perfect English butler and of his fading, insular world postwar England. At the end of his three decades of service at Darlington Hall, Stevens embarks on a country drive, during which he looks back over his career to reassure himself that he has served humanity by serving “a great gentleman.” But lurking in his memory are doubts about the true nature of Lord Darlington’s “greatness” and graver doubts about his own faith in the man he served. A tragic, spiritual portrait of a perfect English butler and his reaction to his fading insular world in post-war England. A wonderful, wonderful book.
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THE REMAINS OF THE DAY Kazuo Ishiguro I've travelled the world twice over, Met the famous: saints and sinners, Poets and artists, kings and queens, Old stars and hopeful beginners, I've been where no-one's been before, Learned secrets from writers and cooks All with one library ticket To the wonderful world of books. © JANICE JAMES. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY In the summer of 1956, Stevens, an ageing butler, has embarked on a six-day motoring trip through the West Country. But his holiday is disturbed by the memories of his past service to the late Lord Darlington, and most of all by the painful recollections of his friendship with the housekeeper, Miss Kenton. For the first time in his life, Stevens is forced to wonder if all his actions were for the best after all ... A sad and humorous love story, and a witty meditation on the democratic responsibilities of the ordinary man.
First published in Great Britain in 1989 by Faber and Faber Limited London First Charnwood Edition published November 1990 by arrangement with Faber & Faber Limited London Copyright © 1989 by Kazuo Ishiguro All rights reserved British Library CIP Data Ishiguro, Kazuo, 1954The remains of the day.-Large print ed. Charnwood library series I. Title 823[F] ISBN 0-7089-8564-5 Published by F. A. Thorpe (Publishing) Ltd. Anstey, Leicestershire Set by Words & Graphics Ltd. Anstey, Leicestershire Printed and bound in Great Britain by T.J. Press {Padstow} Ltd., Padstow, Cornwall
In memory of Mrs Lenore Marshall.
Prologue: July 1956 Darlington Hall IT seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expedition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days. An expedition, I should say, which I will undertake alone, in the comfort of Mr Farraday's Ford; an expedition which, as I foresee it, will take me through much of the finest countryside of England to the West Country, and may keep me away from Darlington Hall for as much as five or six days. The idea of such a journey came about, I should point out, from a most kind suggestion put to me by Mr Farraday himself one afternoon almost a fortnight ago, when I had been dusting the portraits in the library. In fact, as I recall, I was up on the step-ladder dusting the portrait of Viscount Wetherby when my employer had entered carrying a few volumes which he presumably wished returned to the shelves. On seeing my person, he took the opportunity to inform me that he had just that moment finalized plans to return to the United States for a period of five weeks between August and September. Having made this announcement, my employer put his volumes down on a table, seated himself on the chaise-longue, and stretched out his legs. It was then, gazing up at me, that he said: “You realize, Stevens, I don’t expect you to be locked up here in this house all the time I'm away. Why don't you take the car and drive off somewhere for a few days? You look like you could make good use of a break." Coming out of the blue as it did, I did not quite know how to reply to such a suggestion. I recall thanking him for his consideration, but quite probably I said nothing very definite for my employer went on: "I'm serious, Stevens. I