KLARA AND THE SUN

by Kazuo Ishiguro

I feel silly saying that Kazuo Ishiguro’s newest book was not my cup of tea. I mean, who am I to critique an author whose last book won the Pulitzer Prize in Literature? Part of me feels ridiculous even daring to share such an opinion. Klara and the Sun appears on many 2021 Best Books lists. So, what exactly did I find lacking? I think primarily I didn’t engage with the book’s characters. Yes, Ishiguro had a clever premise: set in the future and told from the point of view of a humanoid robot trying to relate to humans, the book reflects on human love and what it means. And Ishiguro writes beautifully. Nevertheless, I always felt myself outside the story, looking in. I never lost myself or felt empathy toward his characters. I would love to hear about other L & L readers’ experience with the book. But for now, I have to say that Klara and the Sun was not my cup of tea. (Liz)