Clara and her relationship with the Sun just communicated to me that 'we can only perceive the world in the context of what we know'. To Klara, she only knows that the Sun gives her 'life' and so becomes HER sacred.

Perhaps because I'm originally from Japan and Ishiguro's contemporary and living in an English speaking country for life like him, I smell something peculiarly Japanese when I read his novels. (I’ve read all of his work chronologically in original English.) Just like I thought the 'Remains of the Day' was a unique servant class samurai story cause certain value of chasing esthetic vision was the underlined theme, this one has given me a lot of Japanese cultural metaphors also. So from the beginning of reading, I didn't see Klara too simply as AI robot. That is because I feared if I take the face value only, I would get frustrated all the way. Every character in the novel is a metaphorical figure to represent a group of people we notice in the social realm. Since the story's got a SF fiction like layout, people may be automatically lead to look for a non-fiction story like explanations for every detail to make senses but we want to remember it's a creative writing, a fiction. In the context, Klara represents what I might see old fashioned or outdated spirit of innocence. The person with an absolute sense of purity and uncontaminated faith. Very unrealistic yes, but such figure perhaps could be the hint of salvation and hope in our upcoming AI technology dominated world. BTW, the highest deity in Japanese Shintoism is the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu-Ohmikami. Klara was the one and with it.

Wonderful conversation about this extraordinary book. Had I viewed this live, I would have asked one question, and it's about Josie's sun cure, the event Klara had put so much hope into and was so convinced it would happen. And it worked. What is the author saying about belief and prayer? Klara prayed in that barn on two occaisions. It was a supplication to Klara's god the sun. The first time failed, but she didn't give up or lose faith. The second time, it seemed to work. Either that or Josie's cure was on hell of a coincidence. I enjoyed this discussion and haven't been involved in the book club since you took my call in the early '90s during a discussion of Roberston Davies' Fifth Business. Thank you Diane. Your value cannot be overstated. -- Dennis

Beautiful show. Thanks for putting things together. Great and insightful discussion. Ive just finished the book and this was so much fun listening to you all

An amazing event .. professionally moderated; thanks and regards from the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Klara used metaphor of people changing like shop display not to be taken too seriously because that's from her life experience. Klara and sun as metamodern, looking for beyond Klara as parental love? Interesting, maybe that's why she bonds with the mum. A parent is doomed to be obscolent, to be discarded. Retirement years with her memory in her spot. Ooo Melania warning Klara not to leave Josie with painter. Another hint Josie becomes robot. What makes us special is our relationships and how other people relate to us. She is human because she dies and has hope. We loved her and she loved us but now WD have to give her away (that's why junkyard, as a graveyard, you wouldn't keep a dead body). Her sacrifice is dramatised as human. Give until nothing left. Beautiful and transcendent. Klara satisfied and giving usefulness to Josie - a job well done. Memories immortalised, she lives on and Klara lives on with her memories. Klara no family, so alone once discarded perhaps. To do with utility, a mistake?

"Unbearably moved"? Such pseudo-intellectualism is unbearable, as is Kate's vocal fry.