[paola]

I really loved this book, and it got me laughing from the first page - that very subtle British humour that I find very appealing: though of course, it gets more and more depressing as you go on, but I really enjoyed the way it was written.

I did buy Steven's voice from the word go - I guess we need a Brit born and bread to confirm whether Stevens really looks the part, but I've heard that kind of talk many times from e.g. world war veterans (if Stevens is in his fifties when he travels, he must have been born around the beginning of the last century), often working class guys in complete acceptance of the unmovability of their station in life: shocking to me, though I think "class issues" are still alive and kicking today.

And the excessive formalism even between husband and wife is something I have witnessed myself ("O thank you so much for bringing this chair" - I'd have strangled the guy had he been my husband).

I also think there is some play with the story which is not told: how could such a passsionate and arguably likeable Miss Kenton fall for soembody like Mr. Stevens, if he was as cold as the charater he is portraying of himself? I think we do have some traces of this better part of himself: he is crying while serving port after his father's stroke:

‘As you so rightly pointed out, I really should come back here in the spring. Darlington Hall must be rather lovely then. The last time I was here, I think it was winter then too. I say, Stevens, are you sure you’re all right there?’
‘Perfectly all right, thank you, sir.’
‘Not feeling unwell, are you?’
‘Not at all, sir. Please excuse me.’
I proceeded to serve port to some other of the guests. There was a loud burst of laughter behind me and I heard the Belgian clergyman exclaim: ‘That is really heretical! Positively heretical!’ then laugh loudly himself. I felt something touch my elbow and turned to find Lord Darlington.
‘Stevens, are you all right?’
‘Yes, sir. Perfectly.’
‘You look as though you’re crying.’
I laughed and taking out a handkerchief, quickly wiped my face. ‘I’m very sorry, sir. The strains of a hard day.’
‘Yes, it’s been hard work.’

and angry after she says she is leaving

‘Mr Stevens, do I understand that you are wishing me to remain on duty this evening?’
‘Not at all, Miss Kenton. As you pointed out, you did notify me some time ago.’
‘But I can see you are very unhappy about my going out tonight.’
‘On the contrary, Miss Kenton.’
‘Do you imagine that by creating so much commotion in the kitchen and by stamping back and forth like this outside my parlour you will get me to change my mind?’

- and he is upset when he sees Ms Kenton pensive and distracted, he is offended by this to the point of childishly killing off the cocoa evenings, and being cruel to Miss Kenton in return.

But for whatever reasons, Mr. Stevens is a "small" man, uncapable of really breaking the mold, and this is soemwhat what saves him, in the sense that he finds a new goal in life, investing in improving his bantering skills: again, to better serve somebody else, in this twisted notion of dignity:

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

He uses "dignity" as a means of self-immolation until he has no identity at allーhe is simply a social function rather than a personーone who subverts his own humanity to achieve a life which is no more than a social gesture.

I also liked how, as the journey progressed, we get more and more glimpses into class and education issues (the episode after the breakdown).

The more I think about it, the more I feel this is a sad book: things are never going to change (e.g. the disillusionement of the doctor, the contentedness with the best landscape in the world, no need to go to any fancy places, this is it).

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

When we see the limitations of Lord Darlington, it would seem that the idea of unthinking service to the 'gentleman" becomes ludicrous. Oddly, I don't think that was such an idea was necessarily all that far-fetched in the time the book's events unfold. Brian Cleeve in his interesting book 1938: A World Vanishing {pub 1982, Buchan & Enright, London}

Sounds very interesting, thank you for the reference.

Originally Posted by issybird

But perhaps the thinness of the story doesn't matter. I realized that it's meant to be a fable about Japanese responsibility for the Second World War. Stevens represents the Japanese people, who devoted themselves to living life with grace and never questioned nor criticized the actions of their god-emperor. The emperor parallels with Darlington, especially as he's seen to be someone with good intentions who was manipulated to evil purpose. While MacArthur undeified Hirohito, in the interest of social stability he placed the responsibility for the war on the war overlords, Hirohito more hapless than evil. So it was with Darlington.

Priceless thought!