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Klara and the Sun: Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize Paperback – 2 March 2021

by Kazuo Ishiguro (Author)

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Klara and the Sun is the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017.

From the bestselling and Booker Prize winning author of Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day, a stunning new novel - his first since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature - that asks, what does it mean to love?

This is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

A thrilling feat of world-building, a novel of exquisite tenderness and impeccable restraint, Klara and the Sun is a magnificent achievement, and an international literary event.

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Review

'A master craftsman.' - Margaret Atwood

'Ishiguro is a remarkable novelist.' - Neil Gaiman

About the Author

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honours around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have sold over a million copies each in Faber editions. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber Fiction
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 2 March 2021
Edition ‏ : ‎ Export - Airside ed
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0571364888
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571364886
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 400 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 23.3 x 2.7 x 15.3 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 368,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 64 in Dystopian Fiction
- 98 in Coming of Age Fiction (Books)
- 294 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
52,273 ratings

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Kazuo Ishiguro

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KAZUO ISHIGURO was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honors around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have each sold more than 2 million copies. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.

Customer reviews

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Customers say

Customers find the book beautifully written and thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its poignant consideration of human nature. Moreover, they appreciate its readability, with one noting it's a great book to discuss with friends, and its intuitive style. However, the narrative quality and character development receive mixed reactions, with some describing it as an unusual novel with great characters, while others find the plot bland and the characters superficial. Additionally, the pacing receives mixed feedback, with some finding it moving while one describes it as very slow going.

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Writing style Readability Thought provoking Visual style Ease of use Narrative quality Character development Pacing

15 customers mention ‘Writing style’12 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully written with a simple tale, and one customer notes that it is narrated by Klara.

"...Beautifully written though, with some thought provoking concepts. Great characters. Great imagery." Read more

"...It’s lyrical, poetic and moving, with Kazuo’s trademark dreamy style. It asks profound questions in a way that remains natural and not didactic." Read more

"It is a simple tale about Klara, an 'Artificial Friend' - a humanoid robot with consciousness...." Read more

"Kazuo Ishiguro writes beautifully and creates genuine, moving characters...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Readability’14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read, with one customer noting it's particularly good for discussion with friends.

"...Although the story is slow paced, the reveals are well worth while and Klara’s endearing and innocent observations of the world create a beautiful..." Read more

"A great read for the first maybe 70%, but a bit drawn out after that. Beautifully written though, with some thought provoking concepts...." Read more

"...I found the book compelling as you glimpse a familiar yet unfamiliar future world through the eyes of one who is also limited in their understanding..." Read more

"...The book is a pleasant read but I would have preferred it to be a little more realistic...." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Thought provoking’14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its poignant consideration of human nature and another noting its wonderful insight into the human condition.

"...and innocent observations of the world create a beautiful and poignant foil, juxtaposed against a grim and sinister reality that lurks just below..." Read more

"...Beautifully written though, with some thought provoking concepts. Great characters. Great imagery." Read more

"Klara and the Sun is a lesson in human emotion. Throughout the book you're seeing the world through Klara's naive eyes...." Read more

"...It asks profound questions in a way that remains natural and not didactic." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Visual style’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual style of the book, describing it as beautiful, with one customer noting its great imagery and poetic qualities.

"...Great characters. Great imagery." Read more

"...It’s lyrical, poetic and moving, with Kazuo’s trademark dreamy style. It asks profound questions in a way that remains natural and not didactic." Read more

"Moving, light and dark, easy and deep, thoughtful on every page. Stunning poise, relevant...." Read more

"...Beautiful imagery of a post modern environment where business and industry are at odds with human frailty." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Ease of use’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very intuitive to use.

"This is a very intuitive and poignant consideration of human nature, from a totally independent and objective observer...." Read more

"Moving, light and dark, easy and deep, thoughtful on every page. Stunning poise, relevant...." Read more

"Short, simple and oh so poignant..." Read more

16 customers mention ‘Narrative quality’10 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the narrative quality of the book, with some finding it an unusual novel, while others describe the plot as bland.

"...Like “Never let me go” this feels like a YA dystopian sci-fi novel but is so much more. Only a truly impressive author could pull this off." Read more

"...was well written but the author chose to expand and heavily detail out pointless things...." Read more

"...Filled with a naive charm, the book is narrated by Klara who comes into being to be an artificial friend for her teen companion Josie...." Read more

"...This is an unusual novel, in so far as it delves into the questions of what it means to be human and what it means to actually Love...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Character development’4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book.

"...Beautifully written though, with some thought provoking concepts. Great characters. Great imagery." Read more

"By Ishiguro's standards, this is clunky. Only the central character is defined, and I wonder whether I have read a children's book or an under-..." Read more

"Kazuo Ishiguro writes beautifully and creates genuine, moving characters...." Read more

"...The characters and dialogue seemed flat which may well be consistent with the AF perspective...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it moving while others describe it as slow and rushed.

"...It’s lyrical, poetic and moving, with Kazuo’s trademark dreamy style. It asks profound questions in a way that remains natural and not didactic." Read more

"...Although the story is slow paced, the reveals are well worth while and Klara’s endearing and innocent observations of the world create a beautiful..." Read more

"...Understated yet moving." Read more

"...Then when something impact up came along, it just felt rushed. It made reading a little tedious. Luckily it wasn't an overly long book...." Read more

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Danger Mouse
A beautiful and poignant dystopian novel
Reviewed in Australia on 26 July 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Klara and the Sun is the eighth novel of this very accomplished Nobel Prize and Booker Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro. Like most of his other novels he conjures the trick of using deceptively simple language to overlay a deeper and richer meaning. Often the little details left out allow the reader speculate beyond what is told.

The novel holds true to the authors belief that he has secretly re-written the same story. In this idea, the novel is arguably most similar to his novel “Never let me go” that also mused upon what it is to be not quite human. However in this novel, genetic clones raised to harvest organs for medical treatments is replaced with artificial intelligence or what the book calls AFs.

Klara, our narrator, is an AF (Artificial Friend) designed to give company to lonely children in an isolated, polluted and angst ridden future. Through Klara’s keen perception the world in the novel gradually reveals itself. Children are “lifted” implying that they are genetically altered to improve their aptitude and chance of success in life. Classes are divided between the genetic haves and have not and even this lifting process is not without potentially fatal consequences.

Although the story is slow paced, the reveals are well worth while and Klara’s endearing and innocent observations of the world create a beautiful and poignant foil, juxtaposed against a grim and sinister reality that lurks just below the surface.

Like “Never let me go” this feels like a YA dystopian sci-fi novel but is so much more. Only a truly impressive author could pull this off.

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2 people found this helpful

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Ellie Keft
spooky and interesting but lofty
Reviewed in Australia on 29 June 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
A great read for the first maybe 70%, but a bit drawn out after that. Beautifully written though, with some thought provoking concepts. Great characters. Great imagery.

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Satisfied Reader
Not my up of tea but can see the allure
Reviewed in Australia on 8 October 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Klara and the Sun is a lesson in human emotion. Throughout the book you're seeing the world through Klara's naive eyes. Love, motherhood, childhood, and the hard choices a family makes are all seen and interpreted through Klara's robot mind. Some things are left for the reader to interpret but everything else can be inferred from each experience. The book wraps up nicely and leaves you with a lot of messages. The one I took from it was that change is constant throughout life but you need people beside you to get through it.

I thought the book was well written but the author chose to expand and heavily detail out pointless things. Then when something impact up came along, it just felt rushed. It made reading a little tedious. Luckily it wasn't an overly long book. Definitely not my normal read but a welcome change.

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One person found this helpful

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Doug
Dreamy android philosophising
Reviewed in Australia on 28 May 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Ishiguro takes us into the mind of an Android in a poetic imagining of what it is to be human, as interpreted through the eyes of a robot. Filled with a naive charm, the book is narrated by Klara who comes into being to be an artificial friend for her teen companion Josie. I found the book compelling as you glimpse a familiar yet unfamiliar future world through the eyes of one who is also limited in their understanding and context. It’s lyrical, poetic and moving, with Kazuo’s trademark dreamy style. It asks profound questions in a way that remains natural and not didactic.

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Nick_Melbourne
A simple tale that needs some realism
Reviewed in Australia on 30 March 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
It is a simple tale about Klara, an 'Artificial Friend' - a humanoid robot with consciousness. Due to a lack of knowledge and understanding about people and the world, she subscribes to some endearing primitive beliefs, much like early humans did thousands of years ago. There are some underlying themes about pollution and human behaviour in the book that do not really come through for me. The book is a pleasant read but I would have preferred it to be a little more realistic. For example, we get some intriguing hints about Klara's vision but what the reader and Klara discover about her internal structure at a crucial stage in the book is plain ridiculous.

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2 people found this helpful

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Craig Middleton
Clever and Unusual
Reviewed in Australia on 28 April 2021
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
The notion of Artificial Intelligence or the AF (artificial friend) is explored in Ishiguro's latest novel, Klara and the Sun. Through the eyes of Klara (AF), we see the world, her wishes, dreams, and developing relationships with her new owner, family, and friends. This is an unusual novel, in so far as it delves into the questions of what it means to be human and what it means to actually Love.

We begin the tale at the AF shop amongst other AF's on display to be sold. Klara and her fellow AF, Rosie, are standing side by side at the store's back. Occasionally the Manager moves Klara to the front window on a striped couch to gain a better opportunity to be seen and hopefully purchased. It is here we see the outside world through Klara's eyes. The crosswalk where many people cross the road, and the many taxis that fill her vision.

Klara has the innocence of a child though the intelligence or potential intelligence of an adult. What sets Klara apart from the other AF's is her keen observational abilities and her unrelenting curiosity about the behavior and motivations of the human's around her.

Finally one day while Klara and Rosie are positioned in the front window, Klara observes a woman and a little girl get out of a taxi. While the woman speaks to another human, the little girl approaches the window and asks Klara questions through the glass. All Klara can do is smile and nod her head, but a bond is created between them on their first meeting. From that day, Klara wants to be the AF to the little girl who we come to know as Josie. After a few mishaps and challenges, Josie and her mother buy Klara, and she is shipped to their home in the country. It's at this point we discover that the little girl is suffering from a serious illness.

What I found striking about Klara was her deep-seated sensitivity and overall kindness. This AF always thinks about other people's feelings, whether AI or human, above her own. One may argue this AF is programmed that way, but as mentioned, this AF is unique. Although it is her job to be the friend of her owner Josie, Klara takes this friendship to its limits to ensure a positive survival for the child and everyone around her.

As you would expect the Sun is a major character in this tale. Because the AF's are solar-powered, the sun is a source of life for them, and as Klara realizes, the sun is a source of life for all living things. This is a key theme throughout the novel.

The questions of what it means to be human have been explored in many novels in the past. For example, Phillip K. Dick's, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, can loosely fit into this category. But Ishiguro takes this notion a step further by illustrating that true love, sacrifice for another, and the layered depths of the human heart are the things that truly make us human.

Once turning the last page, I didn't know whether to be sad, hopeful or both, yet the images, thoughts, and feelings of the tale remained with me for many days afterward.

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12 people found this helpful

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Carlos Vivanco Pastore
Realmente bueno. Cómo siempre
Reviewed in Spain on 24 November 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase

Una vez más Kazuo Ishiguro no decepciona. Su inglés es elegante, simple, lleno de sentimientos y detalles. He leído varios de sus trabajos y nunca me ha aburrido ni desencantado. Vale la pena.

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Alexander O Martinez
Good read
Reviewed in Italy on 6 April 2025
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Very good book! Highly recommend

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Diana
Great book!
Reviewed in Sweden on 26 January 2025
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Great book! I strongly recommend it. From the eyes of an artificial friend we could see what it means to be a human. Motivates a reader to reflect on humans behaviour.

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Clorox was open inside the box and it becomes on my clothes and damaged it
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Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on 14 August 2024
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Nice book

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Fabiana
Envolvente
Reviewed in Brazil on 6 April 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Amei o livro a história é realmente muito envolvente como todas de Kazuo!!! Simplesmente tocante!!! Animada para ler outro livro dele!!!

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