A serious work about a conscientious butler looking back on his working life would not appear to set the pulse racing. Yet Ishiguro beautifully captures the voice of Mr Stevens, the protagonist, as he describes the suffocating life the butler has imposed on himself as he attempts to do his work with dignity.
In addition some of the great foreign policy events of the 20th Century are integral to the story, which gives the plot depth. Set in 1956, a year in which Britain is also forced to consider her role in the world due to the Suez crisis.
Considered by some to be a contemporary classic, the plot is less than pacy, but this reflects the suffocating atmosphere of 1950s England, and there are moments of real comedy. This book gets 3/5.
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