Klara and the Sun-Review

Intro

Kazuro Ishiguro is one of my favorite authors; I have clarified in my top ten lists why I feel this way. So as you suspect, I have been keen to read more of his speculative fiction stories cause I think he can add some much-needed humanity and existentialism. Klara and the Sun is another excellent tale of observed humanity and a quiet POV into a broken world.

Writing

Kazuro Ishiguro’s writing style is as pleasant as ever, filled with the humane warmth of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Klara herself, an Artificial Friend to the genetically enhanced Josie, is a quiet observer of the humans she serves. We notice how people interact with the world, try to survive under environmental decline, and the loss of social interaction with smiles and a facade of normality. Ishiguro displays how real humans adapt to hostile circumstances, and the circumstances become normalized. The fact that Klara is supposed to be a friend to children suggests how bad the lack of social interaction has gotten in this world.

However, Klara’s cool, calm, emotionless voice is also a problem because she is the emotional core. Klara never reacts to events around her; she never gets upset, angry, or happy. Even when she is thrown into a junk heap at the end of the book, she isn’t bitter or mad at her human counterparts for treating her like a disposable object. Instead, she is happy to stare at the environmental god (the Sun). I feel that Ishiguro missed an opportunity for a truly immersive and emotional ride but made the mistake of having an unemotional character by design. Thus robbing the story of any moving residence with the reader.

There is a powerful environmentalist theme within Klara and the Sun. The religious reverence Klara has for the Sun is the most overt to this, as her love for nature is contracted by the Cootings machines, polluting machines that kill people and rob the world of the Sun. The Sun revises people, as seen with the homeless man who comes back to life after the Sun shines down and is a literal deus ex machina for Josie. Ishiguro is apparent in his message about preserving the environment and human connection. And honestly, I enjoyed it; he is one of the few creators who can do an environmental message without preaching to you.

I would complain that it is a little overt, mainly during the deus ex machina scene with Josie, but honestly, it is too much fun to say otherwise.

Conclusion

Klara and the Sun don’t quite reach the emotional heights of Never Let Me Go. However, Ishiguro offers a beautifully quiet and mellow examination of sentience, humanity, and friendship in the modern world. Klara’s AI POV sometimes lacks the emotional kick that Kathy H provided, but that doesn’t stop potent moments and warmth in a hostile environment being brought across.

Acknowledgments

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