“After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished?”
Prologue: July 1956
Stevens, an aging butler, begins a motoring trip through the English countryside at the suggestion of his new employer, Mr. Farraday. The journey prompts him to reflect on his decades of service at Darlington Hall and the nature of dignity in his profession.
Day One – Evening / Salisbury
Stevens recalls his father, also a butler, and his own early career under Lord Darlington. He dwells on the importance of professionalism and restraint, even as he begins to question whether his loyalty was misplaced.
Day Two – Morning / Salisbury
Stevens remembers Miss Kenton, the former housekeeper, and their complex relationship. Though she often challenged his emotional detachment, he dismissed her suggestions at the time. Now, he wonders if he misread her intentions.
Day Two – Afternoon / Mortimer’s Pond, Dorset
Stevens recounts pivotal moments in Darlington Hall’s history, including Lord Darlington’s misguided political sympathies before WWII. He defends his employer’s reputation but admits to personal doubts about his own complicity in questionable decisions.
Day Three – Morning / Taunton, Somerset
Stevens revisits the night his father died while he continued serving guests at a grand gathering. His prioritization of duty over familial grief becomes a haunting example of his emotional suppression.
Day Three – Evening / Moscombe, near Tavistock, Devon
Stevens meets villagers who challenge his views on class and service. Their warmth contrasts with his rigid professionalism, unsettling his long-held beliefs.
Day Six – Evening / Weymouth
Stevens finally reunites with Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn). Their conversation reveals her contentment with her life, dashing his faint hopes of reconnection. He confronts the cost of his emotional restraint.
Epilogue
Alone on a pier, Stevens accepts that his devotion to duty may have led to a life of missed opportunities. He resolves to embrace the “remains of the day” with newfound self-awareness.
Key Ideas
- The illusion of dignity through emotional suppression
- Unreliable narration and self-deception
- Post-war decline of the British aristocracy
- The cost of blind loyalty
- Memory as both comfort and distortion
Notable Adaptations
| Year | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | The Remains of the Day (Film) | Starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson; 8 Oscar nominations |
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in psychological character studies
- Those exploring themes of memory and regret
- Fans of restrained, elegant prose