Klara and the Sun
Our lovely librarian Karolina brings you this review of Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro, presents a not-too-distant future in his latest novel Klara and the Sun, challenging our concept of ‘humanness’ and how we value life. This work of speculative fiction is narrated through the eyes of protagonist Klara, a life-like machine or ‘Artificial Friend’ who waits in the store window for a companion to one day buy her. Highly intelligent, ever-curious and powered by solar energy, her idolisation of the Sun mimics her thirst for knowledge and purpose and ultimately reflects her love for life itself.
Selected by a young girl Josie as a companion, Klara observes her new family and those around her, learning rapidly about the complex spectrum of human emotion. Class divides, relationships, consumerism and moral ethics, particularly debates surrounding the sanctity of human life, all feature in this novel, narrated through the simple and honest prose of a machine rapidly nearing obsolescence. Ishiguro’s semi-dystopic tale is thought-provoking and a wonderful prompt for juicy discussion. Great for fans of his former works like Never Let Me Go, this story is not light-hearted but it’s sprinkled with shades of beauty that make reading it a thoughtful, immersive experience.
Klara and the Sun is available in traditional book format. Reserve it now on the online catalogue or drop into a branch.