My Man Jeeves

My Man Jeeves / P.G. Wodehouse read by Jonathan Cecil, 256 pgs.

An early collection from Wodehouse that features Jeeves although not in every story. We are still set on finding Jeeves able to solve problems and police Bertie's choice of attire.  It has been a long time since I've read something by Wodehouse and I'm glad I checked back in with him. 

The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, 213 pages

After decades serving as butler at Darlington Hall, Mr. Stephens is convinced by his new American employer to take a short holiday, which Stephens sees as an opportunity to visit Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall. During this long drive to visit his former colleague, Stephens reminisces about his years of service to the late Lord Darlington, to whom Stephens was loyal, despite his lordship's many flaws, which become apparent through the course of the book. With page-long paragraphs and almost nonexistent dialogue, it took me a while to settle into this narrative. But once I did, I was swept up by Ishiguro's clever storytelling and characterization. It's no wonder this book has received so many accolades over the years.

The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro  245 pp.

I saw the award winning movie version of this a long time ago and finally decided to read the book. The story of the of an elderly English butler told through reminiscences as he takes a "motoring trip" across England. He takes the trip to see the woman who was once the housekeeper at his place of employment in hopes of getting her to return to her former position. As he travels, Stevens, the butler at Darlington House manor for over thirty years, recalls his life and dedication to his work as a "perfect" butler. In the process he realizes how his loyalty and dedication have caused him to sacrifice his own emotions in order to hold up the facade of perfection. His dedication and stifled emotions caused him to refuse to leave his post to be with his dying father, neglect to acknowledge his affection for the housekeeper who clearly loved him, and to ignore the fact that his employer was involved in the Nazi appeasement movement while hosting dignitaries like Prime Minister Chamberlain and German Ambassador von Ribbentrop. Ishiguro won the Man Booker Prize for this beautifully written portrait of a life devoted to dignity and pride of a well done job.