10 Books Similar to The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Cover of The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)

4.15(559 ratings)

The novel's narrator, Stevens, is a perfect English butler who tries to give his narrow existence form and meaning through the self-effacing, almost mystical practice of his profession. In a career that spans the second World War, Stevens is oblivious of the real life that goes on around him -- oblivious, for instance, of the fact that his aristocrat employer is a Nazi sympathizer. Still, there are even larger matters at stake in this heartbreaking, pitch-perfect novel -- namely, Stevens' own ability to allow some bit of life-affirming love into his tightly repressed existence.

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1
Cover of Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited

by Evelyn Waugh (1930)

3.84(120)

Like 'The Remains of the Day', this novel explores nostalgia, loyalty, and complex relationships within the English aristocracy.

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2
Cover of Atonement

Atonement

by Ian McEwan (2001)

3.90(378)

Similar to 'The Remains of the Day', this book delves into guilt, memory, and the repercussions of past actions.

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3
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The Sense of an Ending

by Julian Barnes (2011)

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This novel, like 'The Remains of the Day', features a middle-aged protagonist confronting his past and the unreliability of memory.

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4
Cover of A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor Towles (2016)

4.28(577)

This book shares 'The Remains of the Day's' elegant tone, focusing on dignity and endurance through changing times.

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5
Cover of Stoner

Stoner

by John Williams (1900)

4.40(501)

Echoing 'The Remains of the Day', this novel offers a quiet, character-driven story about a life defined by restraint and conviction.

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