Remains of the Day is novel written in 1989 by Kazuo Ishiguro.    It is narrated by Mr. Stevens, a butler at Darlington Hall.   He decides to take a 6-day motoring trip across to the west and shares numerous thoughts and anecdotes along the way.   He reflects on his profession, his long-term service to 2 masters, spanning two wars, political upheaval, and many staff at the hall.   A single man with no close friends or family, there was one person he was close to, now decades past, when she left and married.    After receiving a letter from her, he resolves to visit her in Cornwall.

This is a subtle story of unspoken love, private thoughts, loss, avoidance, and self-serving stories that mask loss, loneliness, and life without emotional connections.    It is slow-moving, full of irony, and always restrained.    It is poignant,  without being overtly stated.   The author won the Booker Prize for the novel and in 2017, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.

This is a fine book, but it is at the other end of the spectrum from many genres, and not for everyone’s taste.    I enjoyed it and recommend it as a must-read for those who care about top-notch literature.  4.7 out of 5.0 stars4.7