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Klara and the Sun

author: Kazuo Ishiguro (2021)
date read: 13 August 2021
rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

This is a sort of sci-fi dystopia novel. Klara is an “Artifical Friend” (AF) who goes to be with an ill child called Josie. I didn’t pick up specifics, but Josie is ill, and she and her mother live on the fringe of society. There’s something about “lifted” children, and an approach to childhood that’s even more standardised and academic than it is today (Wikipedia says genetic modification, but I wasn’t sure from the book).

Klara gets her energy from the Sun, and treats it as a sentient being. She appeals to the Sun for it to help Josie, and the book follows her getting to know Josie through to Josie’s eventual healing. It’s careful never to tell us whether the Sun is actually sentient, or whether it’s coincidence.

It’s… fine, I guess? I don’t really have any strong feelings about this book.

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