Klara and the Sun

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To state the obvious, Kazuo Ishiguro is an absolute master. His highly anticipated new novel, the tale of an Artificial Friend and the child she hopes will choose her as a companion, is equal parts compelling and subtle. As with any fairy tale, the deep questions about humanity are just out of direct view, resting below the horizon. Recommended By Keith M., Powells.com

Klara and the Sun is a magnificent new novel from the Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro — author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.

Klara and the Sun, the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her.

Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

In its award citation in 2017, the Nobel committee described Ishiguro's books as "novels of great emotional force" and said he has "uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world."

"As with Ishiguro's other works, the rich inner reflections of his protagonists offer big takeaways, and Klara's quiet but astute observations of human nature land with profound gravity... This dazzling genre-bending work is a delight." Publishers Weekly [starred review]

"A haunting fable of a lonely, moribund world that is entirely too plausible." Kirkus Reviews [starred review]

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His eight previous works of fiction have earned him many honors around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been translated into over fifty languages, and The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, both made into acclaimed films, have each sold more than 2 million copies. He was given a knighthood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.