1001 Novels Challenge - UPDATE 9
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
My first impression of this book came from a trailer that always played at the beginning of a video I once had. I talk, of course, of the Anthony Hopkins/Emma Thompson movie based on the book, and whenever I saw it I always said to myself - oooh, I want to see that. However I never came across a copy, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read the book.
I was almost certain I'd like the book - Gosford Park is my favourite movie, between-wars has always been the period of history I was most interested in, and (being English) stiff upper lip repressed romances are exactly the sort I go in for.
I'm pleased to say I was right, I did love the book. It's one of those occurances when, from the first page, you can't help but genuinely love the narrating character. Stevens quest to discover dignity, and meet up with the married Miss. Kenton (in his mind to discuss staffing problems, but really in the hope she might return to work with him) is a charming story, and we begin to feel increasingly sorry for him as he begins to realise that his employer was a flawed man and that he gave all he had to service, at the cost of happiness. Anyone who reads the section in which he honestly believes the night his father died while he was downstairs serving was his 'triumph' would agree that it's hard not to be touched by what seems (on the surface) to be such a cold action, wheras the writing makes it anything but.
I especially liked the character of Miss. Kenton - the author manages to keep her hidden behind Steven's mask of professionalism and dignity, while making it clear that she is behind this entire journey and has been part of Stevens thoughts for a long time. I loved her passion and despair, and although I was sad at her ending, it made perfect sense.
I will say though, I'm getting a bit fed up of doomed romances. Miss. Kenton and Stevens part forever in this story knowing that they probably would have been happier together, but accepting that they each have different lives now. I'm almost sure House of Mirth will end the same way. Castle of Otranto ended with one of the lovers dying. And I never even expected things to work out with Pip and Estella. The only successful romance in these books so far was A Room with a View - and that's been marred now by Andrew Davies' adaption where George is tragically killed in the war.
So can I please have a HAPPY ENDING someone? My mind may have been warped by fanfic, but I'm not asking for everyone to have an Austen-esque happy ending with marriage and babies - just can I please have a satisfying end to a love story?!
1001 Novels You Must Read Before You Die
Starting Point: 27
Current Point: 35
Realistic Goal: 300 (I should finish, reading one a week, in about 5 years!)
Adams, Douglas: Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women
Austen, Jane: Emma
Austen, Jane: Mansfield Park
Austen, Jane: Northanger Abbey
Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
Austen, Jane: Sense and Sensibility
Bronte, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Bronte, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
Carroll, Lewis: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Christie, Agatha: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Cunningham, Michael: The Hours
Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
du Maurier, Daphne: Rebecca
Dumas, Alexander: The Count of Monte-Cristo
Eugenides, Jeffrey: The Virgin Suicides
Forster, E. M: A Room With a View
Forster, E. M: Howard's End
Gaskell, Elizabeth: Cranford
Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
Haddon, Mark: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Ishiguro, Kazuo: The Remains of the Day
Lawrence, D. H: Lady Chatterly's Lover
Lee, Harper: The Kill a Mocking Bird
Levy, Andrea: Small Island
Lindegren, Astrid: Pippi Longstocking
Martel, Yann: Life of Pi
Nabokov, Vladimir: Lolita
Stevenson, Robert Louis: The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde
Stoker, Bram: Dracula
Verne, Jules: Around the World in 80 Days
Walpole, Horace: The Castle of Otranto
Wodehouse, P. G: Thank You Jeeves
1001 Novels You Must Read Before You Grow Up (and yes, there are crossovers between the lists.)
Starting Point: 61
Current Point: 64
(For reference I'm only going to read books from ages 8+, anything below that age range was already read before starting this)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Story of the Root Children
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
Father Christmas
Burglar Bill
The Snowman
Can't you Sleep, Little Bear?
A Visit From St. Nicholas
Grimms' Fairy Tales
The Emperor's New Clothes
The Ugly Duckling
The House that Jack Built
Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories
Pippi Longstocking
The Worst Witch
Matilda
Tales from Shakespeare
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
A Christmas Carol
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
A Little Princess
The Secret Garden
Mary Poppins
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Hurrah for St. Trinian's
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
James and the Giant Peach
Stig of the Dump
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Magic Finger
The Carpet People
The Indian in the Cupboard
Goodnight Mister Tom
The BFG
The Demon Headmaster
The Sheep-Pig
The Snow Spider
Bill's New Frock
Truckers
Only You Can Save Mankind
Johnny and the Bomb
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Skellig
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Artemis Fowl
The Graveyard Book
Gulliver's Travels
Little Women
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Madame Doubtfire
Flour Babies
Witch Child
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Young Visiters
Around the World in 80 Days
My first impression of this book came from a trailer that always played at the beginning of a video I once had. I talk, of course, of the Anthony Hopkins/Emma Thompson movie based on the book, and whenever I saw it I always said to myself - oooh, I want to see that. However I never came across a copy, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read the book.
I was almost certain I'd like the book - Gosford Park is my favourite movie, between-wars has always been the period of history I was most interested in, and (being English) stiff upper lip repressed romances are exactly the sort I go in for.
I'm pleased to say I was right, I did love the book. It's one of those occurances when, from the first page, you can't help but genuinely love the narrating character. Stevens quest to discover dignity, and meet up with the married Miss. Kenton (in his mind to discuss staffing problems, but really in the hope she might return to work with him) is a charming story, and we begin to feel increasingly sorry for him as he begins to realise that his employer was a flawed man and that he gave all he had to service, at the cost of happiness. Anyone who reads the section in which he honestly believes the night his father died while he was downstairs serving was his 'triumph' would agree that it's hard not to be touched by what seems (on the surface) to be such a cold action, wheras the writing makes it anything but.
I especially liked the character of Miss. Kenton - the author manages to keep her hidden behind Steven's mask of professionalism and dignity, while making it clear that she is behind this entire journey and has been part of Stevens thoughts for a long time. I loved her passion and despair, and although I was sad at her ending, it made perfect sense.
I will say though, I'm getting a bit fed up of doomed romances. Miss. Kenton and Stevens part forever in this story knowing that they probably would have been happier together, but accepting that they each have different lives now. I'm almost sure House of Mirth will end the same way. Castle of Otranto ended with one of the lovers dying. And I never even expected things to work out with Pip and Estella. The only successful romance in these books so far was A Room with a View - and that's been marred now by Andrew Davies' adaption where George is tragically killed in the war.
So can I please have a HAPPY ENDING someone? My mind may have been warped by fanfic, but I'm not asking for everyone to have an Austen-esque happy ending with marriage and babies - just can I please have a satisfying end to a love story?!
1001 Novels You Must Read Before You Die
Starting Point: 27
Current Point: 35
Realistic Goal: 300 (I should finish, reading one a week, in about 5 years!)
Adams, Douglas: Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women
Austen, Jane: Emma
Austen, Jane: Mansfield Park
Austen, Jane: Northanger Abbey
Austen, Jane: Pride and Prejudice
Austen, Jane: Sense and Sensibility
Bronte, Anne: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Bronte, Charlotte: Jane Eyre
Carroll, Lewis: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Christie, Agatha: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Cunningham, Michael: The Hours
Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan: The Hound of the Baskervilles
du Maurier, Daphne: Rebecca
Dumas, Alexander: The Count of Monte-Cristo
Eugenides, Jeffrey: The Virgin Suicides
Forster, E. M: A Room With a View
Forster, E. M: Howard's End
Gaskell, Elizabeth: Cranford
Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South
Haddon, Mark: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Ishiguro, Kazuo: The Remains of the Day
Lawrence, D. H: Lady Chatterly's Lover
Lee, Harper: The Kill a Mocking Bird
Levy, Andrea: Small Island
Lindegren, Astrid: Pippi Longstocking
Martel, Yann: Life of Pi
Nabokov, Vladimir: Lolita
Stevenson, Robert Louis: The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde
Stoker, Bram: Dracula
Verne, Jules: Around the World in 80 Days
Walpole, Horace: The Castle of Otranto
Wodehouse, P. G: Thank You Jeeves
1001 Novels You Must Read Before You Grow Up (and yes, there are crossovers between the lists.)
Starting Point: 61
Current Point: 64
(For reference I'm only going to read books from ages 8+, anything below that age range was already read before starting this)
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
The Story of the Root Children
The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
The Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
Father Christmas
Burglar Bill
The Snowman
Can't you Sleep, Little Bear?
A Visit From St. Nicholas
Grimms' Fairy Tales
The Emperor's New Clothes
The Ugly Duckling
The House that Jack Built
Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories
Pippi Longstocking
The Worst Witch
Matilda
Tales from Shakespeare
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
A Christmas Carol
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
A Little Princess
The Secret Garden
Mary Poppins
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
Hurrah for St. Trinian's
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
James and the Giant Peach
Stig of the Dump
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Magic Finger
The Carpet People
The Indian in the Cupboard
Goodnight Mister Tom
The BFG
The Demon Headmaster
The Sheep-Pig
The Snow Spider
Bill's New Frock
Truckers
Only You Can Save Mankind
Johnny and the Bomb
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Skellig
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Artemis Fowl
The Graveyard Book
Gulliver's Travels
Little Women
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Madame Doubtfire
Flour Babies
Witch Child
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Young Visiters
Around the World in 80 Days