AI bots are getting writing jobs. Cars don’t need drivers anymore. And our phones eerily seem to know what we’re thinking…
Maybe robots will be taking over soon – but this book made me think that might actually be a good thing.
In Kazuo Ishiguro‘s 2021 novel Klara and the Sun, AFs (Artificial Friends) wait patiently in dingy shops to be selected as companions for socially inept young people.
AF Klara is selected to live with the chronically ill Josie and her mum in a remote country estate. Programmed to be the best friend she can, Klara takes her role as Josie’s companion very seriously. For Josie’s parents, Klara might be called upon to fulfil an even more vital role in their family.
Ishiguro’s prose is elegant and unhurried, which I expected from his storytelling. But what surprised me was the gut-punch of emotion this book delivered in its conclusion. I thought about the ending for days.
Klara is a robot, yes – but her devotion to her young friend is so touching. The real question this book asks is whether love and humanity can be manufactured. Klara is wired to love Josie, but so are Josie’s parents. Does that make Klara’s devotion any less real?
If you do read and enjoy this lovely novel, be sure to check out Ishiguro’s stunning Never Let Me Go which touches on similar themes.
Cherie lives, works, and reads in beautiful Tasmania – the green island gem below Australia known for its gorgeous landscape and beautiful wildlife. She holds multiple academic qualifications in English, journalism, and fine art theory, and has worked in writing, editing, and communications roles for more than a decade. Most importantly, she has a deep love for books that began as soon as she learned how to read.
Old, new, any genre – for Cherie, reading is about as vital as breathing. She is interested in sharing books that move, excite, and compel, so others can share the joy of a truly great read. While she reads across most genres, her favourite is literary fiction. Particularly anything by Margaret Atwood, Ottessa Moshfegh, Kate Atkinson, Elizabeth Berg, Ann Patchett, and Anne Tyler.
Cherie frequents Tasmania’s beautiful boutique book shops as well as scouring secondhand shops for books to add to her extensive home library. Catch up with her on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
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