ABSTRACT
This section provides a general introduction to Ishiguro’s writing. The subsections that follow provide convenient synopses of the novels as well as their main or salient features and concerns. In some cases historical contextualization is provided to flesh out the issues addressed by the text. Where relevant, reference is made to Part 1 where the personal and social background to composition and publication is reviewed, and to Part 3 which covers the critical debates inspired by the works as well as the 1993 film adaptation of The Remains of the Day. Where authorial comments are introduced the intention is not to set up the historical author as the final arbiter of meaning, but to provide one of a range of voices that can be taken into account where appropriate. Authorial commentary can be considered a cultural sampler which itself requires examination and analysis, hence allowing a more nuanced or sensitive understanding of the texts. Ishiguro’s short story and screenplay work is addressed in the final sub-section.
