Magic

Not sure why it took me four days to read Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun. Thought I'd finish it in a couple of days when I started. It's not a particularly long novel and hardly demanding in terms of the style, though you have to do a bit of work fathoming the contours of the world created through Klara's clear yet limited narrative. But I'm glad I took my time. From the opening paragraphs, with our Artificial Friend narrating from the store in which she is for sale, I had an odd feeling that Ishiguro was going to painfully tug upon this reader's heartstrings. And that proved to be the case.

I'm not sure how he does it. I suppose it's the restraint that helps cast such a potent spell. But I was entirely knocked out of orbit by Klara's tale.