KAZUO ISHIGURO Klara and the Sun *****

Klara, the narrator of the novel, is a solar-powered ‘Artificial Friend’ or AF (i.e. a robot with amazing artificial intelligence). So I suppose this is science fiction, which normally leaves me cold. But not this book, which is brilliant.

The AFs of this world (set somewhere in America) have been designed for children who for some reason don’t go out much – children like Josie, a pale, thin teenager who persuades her mother to buy her from the store where Klara is on display. Josie has some mysterious illness and Klara becomes her best friend.

Klara worships the sun (her life-source) which she calls on to help Josie.

It’s been called a novel about Life, Love and Mortality, and that sums it up nicely.