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group of friends out together for the evening. But as I listened to their exchanges, it became apparent they were strangers who had just happened upon one another here on this spot behind me. Evidently, they had all paused a moment for the lights coming on, and then proceeded to fall into conversation with one another. As I watch them now, they are laughing together merrily. It is curious how people can build such warmth among themselves so swiftly. It is possible these particular persons are simply united by the anticipation of the evening ahead. But, then, I rather fancy it has more to do with this skill of bantering. Listening to them now, I can hear them exchanging one bantering remark after another. It is, I would suppose, the way many people like to proceed. In fact, it is possible my bench companion of a while ago expected me to banter with him – in which case, I suppose I was something of a sorry disappointment. Perhaps it is indeed time I began to look at this whole matter of bantering more enthusiastically. After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a foolish thing to indulge in – particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth.

It occurs to me, furthermore, that bantering is hardly an unreasonable duty for an employer to expect a professional to perform. I have of course already devoted much time to developing my bantering skills, but it is possible I have never previously approached the task with the commitment I might have done. Perhaps, then, when I return to Darlington Hall tomorrow – Mr Farraday will not himself be back for a further week – I will begin practising with renewed effort. I should hope, then, that by the time of my employer’s return, I shall be in a position to pleasantly surprise him.

by the same author

A PALE VIEW OF HILLS

AN ARTIST OF THE FLOATING WORLD

THE UNCONSOLED

WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS

KAZUO ISHIGURO

The Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain in 1960. He attended the University of Kent at Canterbury and the University of East Anglia. He now lives in London. His first novel, A Pale View of Hills, won the Winifred Holtby Prize of the Royal Society of Literature and has been translated into thirteen languages. His second, An Artist of the Floating World, won the 1986 Whitbread Book of the Year Award; it has been translated into fourteen languages. The Remains of the Day was awarded the 1989 Booker Prize.

Copyright © 1988 by Kazuo Ishiguro

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American

Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by

Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ishiguro, Kazuo, 1954–

The remains of the day / Kazuo Ishiguro. — Vintage international ed.

p. cm. — (Vintage international)

eISBN: 978-0-307-57618-7

I. Title.

[PR6059.S5R46 1990]

823’.914-dc20 90-50177

AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH COPYRIGHT © NIGEL PARRY

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