Fiction

Klara and the Sun

Klara and the Sun

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-15 09:16:12
  • Update Date：2025-09-24
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kazuo Ishiguro
  • ISBN：059331817X
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Summary

Klara and the Sun， the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature， tells the story of Klara， an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities， who， from her place in the store， watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse， and of those who pass on the street outside。 She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her。

Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator， and one that explores the fundamental question: What does it mean to love？

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Reviews

Ellen H ，

I'm 。。。 totally confused。 Can an author plagiarize his own work？ This is Never Let Me Go redux。 I loved Never Let Me Go， but I don't think we needed a new version of it。 I really could not figure out what he was trying to say。 Weird。 I'm 。。。 totally confused。 Can an author plagiarize his own work？ This is Never Let Me Go redux。 I loved Never Let Me Go， but I don't think we needed a new version of it。 I really could not figure out what he was trying to say。 Weird。 。。。more

Lesley ，

I love Ishiguro’s writing。 As always， he explores philosophical questions through fiction。 I like that。 Where I found this novel less satisfying than most was the suspension of disbelief required。 I had no problem buying in to the futuristic idea of AI friends and genetic engineering for children。 But the fantasy portions， the places where I was asked to believe in the human characters’ responses， just didn’t work for me。 Would have edited out “and the Sun”。

Ana Rita ，

Clever concept that fell short on its promise。 Not entirely awful， but neither the characters nor the plot were anything to write home about。

MissPesca ，

Non sono riuscita a farmelo piacere， è un po' piatto。 Non sono riuscita a farmelo piacere， è un po' piatto。 。。。more

Keahi Cambra ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is the first book by Ishiguro that I have read。 I enjoyed seeing the story through the eyes of the AF， Klara。 Her simple， yet deep， observations had me thinking deeply about the themes and motifs throughout the novel。 There was something haunting about the way this story is told。 I constantly had this nagging feeling that something sinister was going on under the surface。 I wondered what this slightly dystopian future held for Klara （and Josie）， but did not really get a whole lot of details This is the first book by Ishiguro that I have read。 I enjoyed seeing the story through the eyes of the AF， Klara。 Her simple， yet deep， observations had me thinking deeply about the themes and motifs throughout the novel。 There was something haunting about the way this story is told。 I constantly had this nagging feeling that something sinister was going on under the surface。 I wondered what this slightly dystopian future held for Klara （and Josie）， but did not really get a whole lot of details。 No matter， I still enjoyed the tension that Ishiguro creates as I work to try to make sense of Klara's role in the family， what important issues society is struggling with in this setting and what ultimately happens to Josie。 I really liked the symbolism of the sun and the Cootings machine and how it weaved into the story， but I struggled to see the role racism played in this society。 The ending left me with a few questions， but I still enjoyed how Ishiguro leaves some loose ends for the reader to tie up。 I enjoyed this book and may look into more of his works。 。。。more

Mel ，

This is a sweet and thought-provoking fictional account of an "Artificial Friend" called Klara who has been designed with the sole purpose of being a companion to a human child。 Set in the future， where AI is more advanced and genetical engineering in humans is commonplace （think "Gattaca" meets "Humans"）， Klara finds herself chosen by a girl with long-term health issues。 Her unique and acute observations of the humans and the world around her lead her to draw some interesting conclusions and to This is a sweet and thought-provoking fictional account of an "Artificial Friend" called Klara who has been designed with the sole purpose of being a companion to a human child。 Set in the future， where AI is more advanced and genetical engineering in humans is commonplace （think "Gattaca" meets "Humans"）， Klara finds herself chosen by a girl with long-term health issues。 Her unique and acute observations of the humans and the world around her lead her to draw some interesting conclusions and to develop her own mini-religion。 Kazuo writes Klara beautifully and I was really touched by her fresh takes on the world around her。 I listened to the audiobook which was read really well by Sura Siu （apart from her slightly over-the-top British accent for the mother）。 。。。more

Melanie ，

It was interesting looking at our world through the eyes of an artificial person。 I saw it is suppose to be a dystopian world， but the only futuristic elements were artificial people and “genetically enhanced” children。 People were willing to enhance their children even though it might kill them。 I felt reading this book that we are very selfish and are we really enough？

Anareads ，

3。5⭐ Przeciekawy temat， tylko jak dla mnie za dużo niedopowiedzeń。 Być może taki już styl autora。

Gregg Narber ，

What can I add to all the praise this book has already received？ Nothing really。 I was awed not so much by the story itself but by the talent it took to write it all in Klara's voice。 Klara is a sort of robot/artificial intelligence purchased as an Artificial Friend （AF） to an ailing and lonely pre-teen girl。 Insofar as I could see， Ishiguro never missed a beat in describing things from Klara's point of view: what she knows/learns and does not; her voice; her beliefs （predicated on her belief th What can I add to all the praise this book has already received？ Nothing really。 I was awed not so much by the story itself but by the talent it took to write it all in Klara's voice。 Klara is a sort of robot/artificial intelligence purchased as an Artificial Friend （AF） to an ailing and lonely pre-teen girl。 Insofar as I could see， Ishiguro never missed a beat in describing things from Klara's point of view: what she knows/learns and does not; her voice; her beliefs （predicated on her belief that the sun is the source of all nourishment - she is solar powered）; the affection and even love she has for the young girl for whom she is the AF。 So many richly framed questions that are only there subtly and not didactically developed （e。g。， the genetic alteration of children to "lift" them - raise IQ and thereby the opportunity for higher education and accompanying social status）。 Not really to be read for the plot so much， I think， but for how Ishiguro wrote it。 An awesome achievement and most highly recommended。 。。。more

Pat ，

What can you you say about a new novel from the Nobel prize winner for literature？ Profoundly moving ？ Tenderly rendered？ Both fable and cautionary tale for our times？ A message of both hope and sadness？ How much difference exists between between faith and magical thinking？ How can we presume to create artificial intelligence when we are so often blind to our own feelings and motivations？ And most importantly， whete is the seat of love: within ourselves or those who love us？ What it must be like What can you you say about a new novel from the Nobel prize winner for literature？ Profoundly moving ？ Tenderly rendered？ Both fable and cautionary tale for our times？ A message of both hope and sadness？ How much difference exists between between faith and magical thinking？ How can we presume to create artificial intelligence when we are so often blind to our own feelings and motivations？ And most importantly， whete is the seat of love: within ourselves or those who love us？ What it must be like to have Ishiguro's imagination。 I will never forget Klara， the heroine， nor will anyone e who reads this quiet masterwork。 。。。more

Ana Teles ，

Este livro traz-nos um história deliciosa de uma Amiga Artificial （um robot， androide） e da sua forma única de ver o Mundo。 Fala da sua relação com os humanos que a acolheram e da sua relação especial com o Sol。

Ellen Polito ，

I listened to the audio version and probably didn’t have the same impact as if I read it。 So， this isn’t a fair rating。

Sara ，

I love Ishiguro， and this book follows in his tradition of creating a subtle， melancholy atmosphere through a first-person narrator who looks out at the world with a naïve hopefulness。。 This time that narrator is an AI or， in the world of the novel， an AF （Artificial Friend）。 I love books about AI， and this one， like the best of these kinds of stories， is really more about how humans are the way they they are than about computers。 At times it borders on precious， which is why four rather than fi I love Ishiguro， and this book follows in his tradition of creating a subtle， melancholy atmosphere through a first-person narrator who looks out at the world with a naïve hopefulness。。 This time that narrator is an AI or， in the world of the novel， an AF （Artificial Friend）。 I love books about AI， and this one， like the best of these kinds of stories， is really more about how humans are the way they they are than about computers。 At times it borders on precious， which is why four rather than five stars， but it's still a very engaging， thought-provoking read。 。。。more

Bill ，

I enjoy most of Ishiguro's books， mostly because they seem rather unique。 Near term science fiction written in a dreamy manner， generally suffused with a sense of loss and sadness。 Klara and the Sun definitely fits that mold， and while it never clicked with me enough to get me to a place of love I found it an enjoyable read。 If you're a fan of his， it's worth checking out but I don't think it's the first book I'd recommend if you're looking for an introduction。 I enjoy most of Ishiguro's books， mostly because they seem rather unique。 Near term science fiction written in a dreamy manner， generally suffused with a sense of loss and sadness。 Klara and the Sun definitely fits that mold， and while it never clicked with me enough to get me to a place of love I found it an enjoyable read。 If you're a fan of his， it's worth checking out but I don't think it's the first book I'd recommend if you're looking for an introduction。 。。。more

Chip ，

It has all the qualities of Ishiguro at his best。 I just don't feel as if it was as strong of a work。 It has all the qualities of Ishiguro at his best。 I just don't feel as if it was as strong of a work。 。。。more

Anna Koslo ，

[tldr; mature and breathing characters， thought nursing， new generation of perception]I enjoyed getting to know the world through Klara's eyes and it was thought provoking trying to decode her language。 Ishiguro shows us with a tech-distant view how our future way of living together and the creation of you own individual life path looks through the eyes of a AI created by ourselves。 Plot twist: Even our own creation does not always understands how the world works and how human beings behave。 Is [tldr; mature and breathing characters， thought nursing， new generation of perception]I enjoyed getting to know the world through Klara's eyes and it was thought provoking trying to decode her language。 Ishiguro shows us with a tech-distant view how our future way of living together and the creation of you own individual life path looks through the eyes of a AI created by ourselves。 Plot twist: Even our own creation does not always understands how the world works and how human beings behave。 Is this good or bad news？ 。。。more

Dixie ，

3。5 stars。

Vylūnė ，

For all the eeriness and unease underlining the story， Klara and the Sun is a sweet book and a rather romantic one。 Bittersweet in it's optimism but pretty scary when you pay a closer look to the world it is set in。What i have enjoyed the most is the storytelling which is just a little bit creepy just a little bit unsettling and just keeps on adding up until the tension grows too much to handle （much like in the "Never let me go"）。I absolutely loved the world building， the way society is present For all the eeriness and unease underlining the story， Klara and the Sun is a sweet book and a rather romantic one。 Bittersweet in it's optimism but pretty scary when you pay a closer look to the world it is set in。What i have enjoyed the most is the storytelling which is just a little bit creepy just a little bit unsettling and just keeps on adding up until the tension grows too much to handle （much like in the "Never let me go"）。I absolutely loved the world building， the way society is presented through the eyes of the robot， the way we learn about classes and dynamics among them。The especially good job is done with the narration。 First， we see Klara narrating with child like honesty， being brand new and describing everything as it is without prejudices （or much understanding of what is going on）。 Then， as she keeps learning and comparing the new information with the past and compartmentalizing it， we see all of that being shaped into new thought processes and attitudes。 It's fascinating how seemingly random events， gestures and objects are described to become patterns in her mind， consequently making her judge the world differently。While Klara's empathy makes her human and knowable， her unhuman thought processes and lines of reasoning make her narration （and actions） more and more bizzare the further into story we advance。I would recommend Klara and the Sun:* to those who liked the vague and eerie scifi combined with "what it means to be a human" element in the Never Let Me Go;* those who enjoyed Asimov's "robot as a pathos" type of stories;* those who liked questioning ethics of using intelligent robots for servants/companions in Humans TV series。 。。。more

gatsby_books ，

Un libro poetico。 Fin dalle prime pagine capisci che la storia che stai per leggere sarà una storia malinconica。 Il personaggio di Klara， un amico artificiale， e della sua proprietaria umana Josie è molto commovente， tanto quanto la cieca fiduca che Klara ha verso il sole。 Quando ho letto l'ultima pagina ho avuto la strana sensazione che non fossi stato io a finire il libro， ma che in qualche modo fosse stato il libro ad abbandonare me e a dirmi addio。 Un libro poetico。 Fin dalle prime pagine capisci che la storia che stai per leggere sarà una storia malinconica。 Il personaggio di Klara， un amico artificiale， e della sua proprietaria umana Josie è molto commovente， tanto quanto la cieca fiduca che Klara ha verso il sole。 Quando ho letto l'ultima pagina ho avuto la strana sensazione che non fossi stato io a finire il libro， ma che in qualche modo fosse stato il libro ad abbandonare me e a dirmi addio。 。。。more

Mark Nelson ，

Well I guess we know by the fact that Ishiguro is a Nobel prize winner that this is a literary deal。 And as is usually the case with this type of book， I am probably completing missing the point。 I realize that Klara's feelings about the Sun are in some way super-meaningful， but it just wasn't entirely clear to me and honestly， I read for enjoyment， so I'm not going to go back and reread/study/research it。Obviously nicely written， easy to read， but a I guess pitched over my head。 Well I guess we know by the fact that Ishiguro is a Nobel prize winner that this is a literary deal。 And as is usually the case with this type of book， I am probably completing missing the point。 I realize that Klara's feelings about the Sun are in some way super-meaningful， but it just wasn't entirely clear to me and honestly， I read for enjoyment， so I'm not going to go back and reread/study/research it。Obviously nicely written， easy to read， but a I guess pitched over my head。 。。。more

Visnja Murgic ，

I was a little disappointed with Klara and the Sun。 Klara was too human and not entirely convincing to me。 The writing is superb but we wouldn't expect anything less from a Nobel laureate。 I was a little disappointed with Klara and the Sun。 Klara was too human and not entirely convincing to me。 The writing is superb but we wouldn't expect anything less from a Nobel laureate。 。。。more

Aude ，

I have loved many of his novels but this one really couldn't hold my attention。 I never warmed enough to the main character to care and abandoned it half way through after plodding through the first half。 I have loved many of his novels but this one really couldn't hold my attention。 I never warmed enough to the main character to care and abandoned it half way through after plodding through the first half。 。。。more

Jasmine Hussain ，

I rather disappointed by the end of the book。 I was waiting for a twist or some revelation but one never came！ The story is set in a dystopian future where children can purchase AFs （Artificial Friends） and are genetically engineered in order to succeed in life。 However， I don’t think the latter was explained very well or it’s significance brought across in the book - it was more of a matter of fact thing。 None of the characters had anything striking about them and I found the conversations to b I rather disappointed by the end of the book。 I was waiting for a twist or some revelation but one never came！ The story is set in a dystopian future where children can purchase AFs （Artificial Friends） and are genetically engineered in order to succeed in life。 However， I don’t think the latter was explained very well or it’s significance brought across in the book - it was more of a matter of fact thing。 None of the characters had anything striking about them and I found the conversations to be rather bland。 I’m not sure if I was missing something and perhaps the fact that I finished the book in 1。5 days reflects that the story line had something gripping （albeit subtle） about it？？ But I think I was just desperate for the book to reveal something in the end :（ 。。。more

Jack ，

I enjoyed this more than Ishiguro’s other novels that I’ve read， and perhaps it’s because I really love science fiction。 With a stronger emphasis on the thoughts and emotions of an artificial intelligence was so interesting to read and it just so happened that it was beautifully written too！

Kim ，

4，5My first Ishiguro， so I can't wait to read more！ Similar to the way Klara observes reality and gains insight in new emotions and situations by organizing （while being herself unconscious of this proces， as she is apparently programmed this way， it's just how reality presents itself to her） their complexity in different 'boxes' of perspective that exist at the same time， 'Klara and the Sun' is multilayered and makes you question what you read and how to interpret it constantly。 This near-futur 4，5My first Ishiguro， so I can't wait to read more！ Similar to the way Klara observes reality and gains insight in new emotions and situations by organizing （while being herself unconscious of this proces， as she is apparently programmed this way， it's just how reality presents itself to her） their complexity in different 'boxes' of perspective that exist at the same time， 'Klara and the Sun' is multilayered and makes you question what you read and how to interpret it constantly。 This near-future society is the ideal context for a critical exploration of the meaning of solitude， status， living up to your full potential （'uplifting'）， the role of 'oblongs' in our lives， inequality in society， becoming a person， different perspectives leading to different solutions， worshipping and being human。Will be thinking a lot about the parts that still mystify me！ 。。。more

Iri El ，

I almost did not want to finish it， but then I thought well， perhaps there’s a surprise or something illuminating lurking somewhere。 But here I am， glad that I’ve finished it but also disappointed because the book almost seemed to have no climax but an uneventful diary of Klara’s observation in the human world。 Nothing remarkable。 Boring， just grindingly boring。

Maria Łusakowska ，

When I started this book I thought WOAH is this my new favorite？？ And I really enjoyed it for the most part; Ishiguro’s writing is exquisite and the idea of looking at the world though an AI’s eyes is so well executed！ But Yes there’s a 🍑The ending was so UNSATISFYING Half of the questions were not answered It just ended so abruptly I felt like crying not because it was moving but because I needed like another 100 pages of the story just to get some answers， please？So it’s a 3，5 stars for me eve When I started this book I thought WOAH is this my new favorite？？ And I really enjoyed it for the most part; Ishiguro’s writing is exquisite and the idea of looking at the world though an AI’s eyes is so well executed！ But Yes there’s a 🍑The ending was so UNSATISFYING Half of the questions were not answered It just ended so abruptly I felt like crying not because it was moving but because I needed like another 100 pages of the story just to get some answers， please？So it’s a 3，5 stars for me even though I really REALLY wanted to give it 5 Also， it didn’t discourage me！ And I’m planning on reading more of Ishiguro’s work because the writing is chef’s kiss 💋 。。。more

Angie Sanchez ，

agh idk this felt long and winded and unoriginal but I know I’m in the minority。 I felt like it had so much potential to be Cool and I kept waiting for a twist that never came :（ 10/10 for klara’s cuteness tho

Albert13 ，

Роман-сказка， роман-притча - о любви， об одиночестве， о Боге， о подростках и взрослых， о том как это - быть человеком， как стать человеком。 Вроде все понятно， все просто， весь скелет и мышцы книги прекрасно видны и прекрасно работают， смыслы ясны， но написано все это так хорошо， так приятно， так не побоюсь этого слова нежно， что читаешь и грустно-радостно на душе。

Michael Godwin ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Klara & The Sun started strongly。 Klara's observations of the world through the shop window through the beginning sections of the novel we're beautifully constructed and invokes deep thought about how we as people see the world through social and cultural schemas。 I felt the lack of observation after Klara is sold to Josie's family ultimately lets down the remainder of the book， although the reveal of Klara's true purpose in the family caught me off guard and was an interesting plot point。 Klara & The Sun started strongly。 Klara's observations of the world through the shop window through the beginning sections of the novel we're beautifully constructed and invokes deep thought about how we as people see the world through social and cultural schemas。 I felt the lack of observation after Klara is sold to Josie's family ultimately lets down the remainder of the book， although the reveal of Klara's true purpose in the family caught me off guard and was an interesting plot point。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Klara and the Sun

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Klara and the Sun&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Klara and the Sun&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0