Hmm what are you trying to say, Kazuo Ishiguro? I really don't know.
Did I love Klara and the Sun? No. Did I hate it? Also, no. While this seems like quite the polarizing book for everyone else, it didn't really elicit any strong emotions in me. In fact, if I had to sum up my feelings in one word, it would probably be "meh."
We start off with Klara at the store, hoping to be chosen as the Artificial Friend for a family. Since she's a robot and the story is told from her perspective, her narrative comes across a bit robotic and detached. But it fits the tone of the story, and I really enjoyed reading her growing awareness and insight. And I'm not afraid to admit that her search for her "forever home" tugged at my heartstrings.
But I got a little bit confused soon after because I'm not sure where Ishiguro is trying to go with this story. The potential for something profound is there, but the narrative doesn't get anywhere close to that. And when we reach the ending, it feels convenient, as if the author ran out of steam or doesn't quite know how to wrap up all the concepts he introduced.
With this being science fiction, I have to make a comment on the science part. To me, it feels clumsy and not at all well thought out. The technology comes across as both more advanced than our current world with AI, but also less advanced with Klara's lack of understanding for how humans function. There were also concepts referred to throughout without explanation until much later in the book, and it created this artificial sense of bewilderment that I didn't really see the point of.
Overall, it was hard for me to know what to think of this book because it didn't say much. There was a lot of potential, but it ended up only scratching the surface. It feels unfinished, with a fluffy slapdash ending that didn't even come close to addressing any of the worthwhile topics in here.
Readaroo Rating: 3 stars
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