Love this book. I had forgotten most of it since reading it in high school, and it was fun to remember elements of it as it went along. Fun to listen to as well!

It’s amazing that the style of writing works. How the narrator will start to tell a story, then be like,  wait, let me give you more context, go back and tell a completely different story, then come back to the one she started off with. It builds beautifully. 

Ishiguro is able to describe very specific scenarios that occur within close friendships, particularly ones from childhood, so that it feels like he’s describing your life. I felt such an affinity to these characters. And the penultimate scene is just heartbreaking. It’s not a twist per se - nothing you learn is much of a shock. The slow build until it’s finally laid out plainly before you makes it much more impactful.

Ruth is kind of irredeemable tbh! She was so shitty all the time! It was vindicating to hear her admit it at the end but her “gift” to Tommy and Kathy just felt too-little-too-late. Kathy asks Tommy if he thinks his tantrums were because deep down he understood more about their situation than everyone else. Could Ruth’s nastiness be explained the same way?