50 50 Book Review
Klara and the Sun By Kazuo Ishiguro
Gwangju News, June 2022
gwangjunewsgic.com
CULTURE & ARTS
Reviewed by Michael Attard
K
lara 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
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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 ▲ Kazuo Ishiguro kids are the socalled “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
2022-05-26 �� 3:06:33
