Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro

Reviewed by Michael Attard

Klara is an artificially intelligent robot designed for the purpose of being a friend and helper for a human. As futuristic as this may seem, Klara perceives the sun as godlike. From the moment we meet her in the store, where she is for sale, Klara is aware that solar power gives her energy, and she weakens in its absence.

Klara initially expects that when someone eventually buys her, the owner will give human love to her. But she is very observant of the world passing by on the street and comes to realize that this will not necessarily be the case. She contemplates the weariness that this would cause and ponders what the feeling of not being wanted would be like. At the end of part one, Klara is purchased by a 14-year-old girl named Josie.

In the beginning chapters, the writing may make the book seem simplistic. But the author, Kazuo Ishiguro, is a Nobel Prize recipient, and from reading two of his other novels, I learned that there is a lot more happening than might first appear.

Klara lives with Josie and her divorced mother. The relationship between mother and teenage daughter is typical. However, Josie is in poor health and requires help from time to time, and this is one reason that they bought Klara. In the story, having an artificial friend or “AF,” as Klara is referred to, is common. We also meet Rick, Josie’s long-time childhood friend. The plot thickens when we learn that Rick is not like the other kids. However, it is really Rick who is normal – by our standards – while the other kids are the so-called “uplifted.”

Klara does her best to learn about and understand Josie and her mother so that she can better help Josie. She knows that comprehending humans is not easy, as humans change their emotions quickly. With regard to Josie’s health and the poor prognosis, Klara has hope, and it is to the sun to which she turns for help.

The adults in the story act as if and claim that they want the best for their children. Klara accepts this as true, although she expresses surprise at how parents are willing to behave or sacrifice in a manner that would increase their own loneliness. But Ishiguro subtly questions this motive. Whom do any of us really do things for?

The parents we meet in the story have taken risks for their children. As per a conversation between Josie and Rick, Josie claims that people need “society,” and her parents are providing this for her in spite of the previously known danger and negative health outcome for Josie. Josie accuses Rick’s mother of being selfish by her not having had Rick “uplifted.”

I think that in the book Ishiguro is questioning the personal motives that each of us has in life and asking us to examine the type of society we are creating by our actions.

Klara is the one who remains loyal. She is steadfast in her hope and plan to make Josie well. With Rick’s help, Josie goes to see the sun as it sets behind a nearby barn. Klara is determined to convince the sun to help but remains humble and childlike in her reasoning and beseeching.

There are also subplots like Rick and his mother, Josie’s father, seeds of mystery, Josie’s so-called portrait, her deceased sister, innuendoes, faulty genetic engineering, and hints dropped along the way that maintain reader interest. Some of this is backstory but also provides controversy and conflict, which all good novels require.

It is in relation to the artist’s so-called portrait of Josie that Ishiguro presents us with perhaps the crux of his questioning. The artist is convinced that his work will be successful because there is no uniqueness within humans and no unreachable part inside each of us that cannot be transferred elsewhere. He believes that he can create a continuation of Josie.

It is Josie’s father who asks Klara, “Do you believe in the human heart? Something that makes each of us special and individual?”

The trip to the city had been demanding for Josie and her health noticeably deteriorated. Klara once again makes a trip across the fields to where the sun sets in order to request its help. But before she does, she asks Rick if his and Josie’s love is genuine. He replies that it is, and Klara feels more confident.

A few mornings later, Josie was sleeping, the sky was dark with the clouds becoming denser. Suddenly, the weather changed and the sun began to break through the clouds. The gloom blew away. Klara exclaimed that they must go to Josie right away. Josie was sleeping peacefully under the bright rays of the sun. When the housekeeper went to draw the curtains, Klara again was insistent and demanded that they let the power of the sun land on Josie.

From this point in the story, there are 17 more pages, but I will not tell you the ending. Suffice it to say that Klara was happy with her own behavior and her devotion and loyalty were often recognized and appreciated. If only humans could have comprehended her uniqueness. 

In conclusion, some other reviews claim that what Ishiguro says and implies about human nature is nothing new. This may be true, but I think his use of Klara allows the reader to perhaps see life from outside the box. Regardless, I really enjoyed the book.

The Reviewer

Michael Attard is a Canadian who has lived in Gwangju since 2004. Though officially retired, he still teaches a few private English classes. He enjoys reading all kinds of books and writes for fun. When the weather is nice, you may find him on a hiking trail.