克拉拉与太阳

I originally rated this three stars, but this book did something that few books do: it stuck in my head, and I kept thinking about it long after I'd finished it. The premise may seem like cheap sci-fi up front, but it makes you think about life, planned obsolescence, and more.

Ishiguro's novel about a sentient robot is very timely, thought-provoking, and disturbing. My favorite character in this story was definitely Klara, the AF (artificial friend). In some ways, this is a challenging read, since the author does not spell everything out, and there are plenty of details that are not spelled out. Klara's reasoning and sensory clues are well described, however, and the saddest aspect of this story is how much of Klara's knowledge and insights will never be explained or shared with those she cared about most. Like most of those who have been assigned by society to a subservient role, she is vastly underestimated. This is a story that will stay with me, and I do recommend it.