The remains of the day

Titulo: The Remains of the Day
Autor: Kazuo Ishiguro
ISBN: 0571154913 / 0-571-15491-3 (UK edition)
Editorial: Faber and Faber
Paginas: 258
Idioma: Ingles

Lo mejor que leido hasta ahora, excelente es poco. Ya habia leido de Ishiguro "An Artist of the floating world" pero este libro es muy superior. El libro relata (en primera persona) la historia de Stevens, un mayordono ingles que paso 30 años sirviendo a su señor y que gracias a un viaje se da cuenta de su condicion, es una especie en extinsion, uno de los ultimos grandes mayordomos britanicos. Me resulta dificil describir la trama del libro porque esta todo bueno, realmente no tiene desperdicio. Es casi imposible no sentirse mal - y triste - por la vida del pobre Stevens, aunque el no sabe que su vida es miserable. A medida que se desarrolla la hostaria, Stevens rememora las epocas de gloria cuando la casa era visitada por las figuras mas importantes de inglaterra. El relato mezcla la tragedia con la comedia (SPOILERS AHEAD) por caso, el padre de Stevens - tambien mayordomo - se esta muriendo y su hijo SUPER PROFESIONAL sigue atendiendo a los invitados como si nada pasara!!!. En medio de la reunion que sostienen personas muy importantes del ambiente politico britanico, alguien le anuncia que su padre murio y él sigue con su trabajo argumentando ¨es lo que mi padre hubiera querido¨. La parte comica viene dade por los problemas de Stevens para detectar los chistes o bromas y sus problemas para elegir una respuesta acorde.

La historia del tigre en el comedor

¨The story was an apparently true one concerning a certain butler who had travelled with his employer to India and served there for many years maintaining amongst the native staff the same high standars he had commanded in England. One afternoon, evidently, this buttler entered the dinning room to make sure all was well for dinner, when he noticed a tiger languishing beneath the dining table. The butler had left the dining room quietly, taking care to close the doors behind him, and proceeded calmy to the drawing room where his employer was taking tea with a number of visitors. There he attracted his employer´s attention with a polite cough, then whispered in the latter´s ear: ¨I'm very sorry, sir, but there appears to be a tiger in the dining room. Perhaps you will permit the twelve-bores to be used?".
And according to legend, a few minutes later, the employer and his guests heard three gun shots. When the butler reappeared in the drawing room somo time afterwards to refresh the teapots, the employer had inquired if all was well. "Perfectly fine, thank you, sir", had come the reply. ""Dinner will be served at the usual time and I am pleased to say there will be no discernible traces left of the recent occurrence by that time"

Stevens sobre como responder a las bromas intelectuales (witticism)

"By the very nature of witticism, one is given very little time to assess its various possible repercussions before one is called to give voice to it, and one gravely risks uttering all manner of unsuitable things if one has not first acquired the necessary skill and experience. There is no reason to suppose this is not an area in which i will become proficient given time and practice, but, such are the dangers, i have decided best, for the time being al least, not to attempt to discharge this duty in respect of Mr Farraday until I have practised further"

Cuac!!!..jajajaja, pobre Stevens , era un tipo muy formal!!.

Excelente libro le doy 5 estrellitas de 5 (*****)


"The remains of the day" (la pelicula)