Haley

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The Bitch

by Pilar Quintana

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Nov 07, 2026 11:27AM

Haley is currently reading

Klara and the Sun

by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author)

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read in June 2021

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Haley said: " I'll admit it...bookstagram made me read it. The hype was overwhelming...but was it worth all the praise? YES IT WAS!! 5/5 ⭐

The titular character Klara is an AF, or an artificial friend, this dystopian novel's name for artificial intelligence created I'll admit it...bookstagram made me read it. The hype was overwhelming...but was it worth all the praise? YES IT WAS!! 5/5 ⭐

The titular character Klara is an AF, or an artificial friend, this dystopian novel's name for artificial intelligence created to keep children company. Klara's life begins as a newly made AF in a storefront window. Klara has a propensity for close observation, seemingly even more so than her fellow AFs. Klara is chosen by a girl named Josie, who she must learn, observe, and care for.

The book is an incredibly slow burn, making the 300 page narrative feel as if it lasts a lifetime. And, in essence, it does. We get the whole lifespan of Klara documented for us in detail. Though slow moving for much of the book, the plot quickens later on, and twists and turns as it goes.

The POV was the most impactful aspect of this book for me. Seeing a non-human character observe humans was absolutely fascinating. Klara has to learn the range of human emotion, and how those feelings do or don't translate outwardly. She has her own names for many objects in Josie's home as well, which serves to highlight the juxtaposition between her seemingly complete and nuanced understanding of Josie, and her limited understanding of the material world around her. She is a robot made to understand and care for humans, not one made to have a deep understanding of human creations and larger social structures.

This book brings up a conversation that we are having now, and surely will continue to have into the future: what makes us human? Klara is distinguished by everyone as a robot; though we never get a full description of her own moving parts and how human she might look, the human characters can automatically place her as an AF. However, reading from her POV, though naive at times, she feels like a human. She has her own set of emotions, hopes, superstitions, and desires, and she can make plans and execute them even if they sort of go against her design. I think the question of AI and humanity is so vast and hard to pin down, but it's a fascinating one. If something like AFs exists in the future, will they have rights?

Will they be treated like machines or people? What are the determinant factors for a human in a world where so much AI exists? Klara has a conversation about the human heart herself (p.175) , and I found it very illuminating.
Another aspect I found really important was Klara's relationship to the sun. Klara worships the Sun as if it was God. In creating this dynamic, Ishiguro brings to light the subjectivity of religion. Klara worships the thing that powers her (she is solar powered). Because of the link between her strength and the sunshine, she takes it upon herself to seek out and speak to the sun. She also sees the sun as all-powerful; in her mind he can heal the sick and make the world right again, if only she serves him. In this, we see how much perception and perspective plan into one's religion or superstitions. Ishiguro also seems to lead the reader to find connections between Klara's seemingly blind faith and trust in the sun, who may or may not (no spoilers) do what Klara asks of him, and the way human religion often recommends seemingly blind faith in an unseen force, and suggests acts of service and diligence to that force.

Overall, such a thought provoking and incredible book. ...more "

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(page 169 of 303)
— Jun 02, 2021 05:54PM

Aug 04, 2021 06:08PM · see review