“’It must be nice sometimes to have no feelings. I envy you.’ I considered this, then said: ‘I believe I have many feelings. The more I observe, the more feelings become available to me.’ She laughed unexpectedly, making me start. ‘In that case,’ she said, ‘maybe you shouldn’t be so keen to observe.‘”
Klara and the Sun– Kazuo Ishiguro
My Rating
In Summary of Klara and the Sun
“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” –Goodreads Once Klara is chosen to be an Artificial Friend, she must learn what it’s like to coexist with humans, as well as the intricacies of society, empathy, and the world.
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Presents interesting and powerful interpretation of the world consumed with AI | Slow pacing |
| Written through the perspective of AI; feels appropriately whimsical, unique, and speculative | Limited perspective – some things readers never learn |
| Klara, although a robot, captures readers’ hearts with her |
READ IF YOU LIKE: dystopias, science fiction, robots/technology, symbolic books, questioning the future of the world, unique narrators
“Until recently, I didn’t think that humans could choose loneliness. That there were sometimes forces more powerful than the wish to avoid loneliness.”
The Review
Who would’ve thought that a book about robots – which should not be able to feel – would make me feel all of my emotions in the strongest ways?
Klara, although a robot, connects to readers in a way that is difficult to explain. She tries so hard to show love and security to her human, despite her inabilities to feel as a human does. Readers will root for this beloved robot, hoping for any humanity that is within her to come through. Additionally, readers are faced with unearthing the underlying intentions of humans and what it means to be one.
Some readers may argue that Ishiguro’s writing is dull in this book. However, I urge you not to look at this book from surface-level.
Klara and the Sun is thought-provoking, and Ishiguro’s style of writing engages readers through the Klara’s seemingly naïve perspective. I have read dystopian novels before, but I cannot say that those books contained the same emotional and metaphorical depth as this one; this one is in a league of its own. To read this novel simply as a surface-level text doesn’t do it justice because the themes and implications of A.I. presented here are much more complex and frighteningly relevant.
This may not be a beach-read, relaxation kind of book (unless it is for you; you do you) but it will make you think… and maybe even fall in love with the sweetest of robots!
Klara and the Sun Book Information
- Published: 2021
- Publisher: Knopf
- ISBN: 9780593318171
- Format: Hardback
- Length: 304 pages
Archetypes & Anecdotes 
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