Review:
It’s difficult to talk about Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest novel Klara And The Sun without giving away details that are gradually revealed throughout the story. But here goes.
Klara is a robot referred to as an AF or Artificial Friend. In the beginning of the book she is sitting in a shop window on display, rather like a clothing dummy. The difference is that as an AI she has a particular awareness of her surroundings, and also her friend Rosa who is sitting beside her. She can communicate with Rosa and discuss what they see. We see everything from Klara’s point of view.
Klara is a solar powered machine, and the sun is her energy source. She tells us that she is aware of the sun’s position throughout the day and we see how important it is to her wellbeing. When she is moved to the back of the store to allow newer AF models to be displayed in the window Klarais not particularly concerned because she knows Manager will allow her back in the window again.
Although Klara is an earlier model she is attractive and supposedly more intelligently aware than her friend Rosa. Through her eyes we see characters like the Overhaul Man who regularly passes the store, a derelict who sleeps across the street with his dog, and an elderly couple who appear to greet each other warmly after a long separation. Klara’s observations lead us to believe that her knowledge of human nature is limited, but essentially correct.
Eventually she is bought for a girl, Josie, who soon becomes ill. It’s Klara’s job as Josie’s companion to watch over her and warn Mother if her condition deteriorates. Klara doesn’t know what Josie is suffering from, but the concern of Mother and Melania House Keeper shows her (and us) that the illness is serious. As a result, Klara is convinced that the Sun, her own power source, can cure Josie, and much of the book’s suspense is built around Klara’s attempts to bring this about.
Josie is friendly with Rick who lives next door. Klara sees that Rick is in some way disadvantaged and will not be able to go to college or get a job. Josie and Rick’s relationship is important to the story and to Klara, who comes to understand the quality of human love through their dependence on each other.
In typical Ishiguro fashion, the story is a slow reveal, and as each thread unravels we see a dire situation developing that could mean disaster for Josie and a very different future for Klara.
The book only briefly touches on this future society’s attitude to AI and how humanity is threatened by robotics, but there is much more going on in this world than just the development of Artificial Friends.
Klara And The Sun is speculative fiction at its best. In this paranormal world we are able to look through the eyes of an intelligent machine and see what it means to be human.