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The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day
Nov 17, 2025 8:24 PM

Author:Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the Day

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the English countryside and into his past . . . A haunting tale of lost causes and lost love, The Remains of the Day, winner of the Booker Prize, contains Ishiguro's now celebrated evocation of life between the wars in a Great English House - within its walls can be heard ever more distinct echoes of the violent upheavals spreading across Europe.

Reviews

An era revealed in a perfect butler’s imperfections

—— The New York Times

The witty world of Isabel Bookbinder hooked me instantly...a warm and captivating debut novel. A great book to read wrapped in your warmest pyjamas, with a cup of hot chocolate on a miserable winter's day

—— Yours

A marvellously funny debut

—— Jilly Coopers

I quite fell in love with Isabel. Funny, charming and accident prone, she is the perfect heroine for today

—— Penny Vincenzi

It's a masterwork from a treasure and hero of a writer, and it will delight you.

—— Cory Doctorow

Historical fiction in the hands of the inimitable Sir Terry brings the sights and the smells (most certainly the smells) of Old London wonderfully to life . . . Unexpected, drily funny and full of the pathos and wonder of life: Don't miss it.

—— Kirkus Reviews

Interwoven with historical figures such as Charles Dickens, Robert Peel and Disraeli, Dodger is convincing proof of [Pratchett's] still galloping imagination.

—— Daily Telegraph

Masterly and entertaining

—— Nicolette Jones , The Sunday Times

Dodger is a book filled with kindness and wisdom. The reason I feel the need to point this out is that it is so rare. The story practically oozes kindness.

—— Ann Giles , Bookwitch

Dodger is a hero who Dickens would love . . . You can't help loving Dodger as he ducks, dives, falls in love and rises in the Victorian world. This is a hero I can't wait to meet again.

—— Amanda Craig , The Times

Much as I love the Discworld series I also enjoy it when Terry Pratchett takes a break and gives his readers something else . . . Pratchett has the ambience of 1840s London spot on

—— Rachel Hyde , www.myshelf.com

Fine plot, excellent characters, and fun to read.

—— Irish Inn Book Club blog

Dodger is an amazing book . . . It creates a great display of historical London, contrasting the above ground cleanliness against the below ground filthy and often-times rotten sewers. Add in a lively set of support characters, funny dialogue, great action, and finish it all off with Dodger, one of the most lovable characters that I have read about.

—— Fantasybookreview.co.uk

Compulsively readable

—— Washington Post

Escape into Pratchett’s humorous and mysterious world and follow Dodger’s infamous trail through a tale where history and fantasy are entwined.

—— Independent School Parent Magazine

Terry Pratchett fans should not miss Dodger, his sassy take on Oliver Twist

—— The Sunday Times

A rollicking good yarn

—— Magpies Magazine

Dodger’s descriptions of the capital, from its slums and sewers to the homes of the middle classes and the bolt holes of the elite, paint a vivid, immersive picture. The attention to detail in both the break-neck storytelling and historical veracity are mightily impressive . . . characters remain as compelling and three dimensional as ever . . . Dodger feels fresh, vibrant and full of energy, a triumph that should be celebrated as yet another glorious gift from Narrativia.

—— SFX
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