A near-future science fiction story, Klara and the Sun is told from the perspective of an Artificial Friend, an intelligent solar-powered robot designed to befriend children. The novel opens with Klara in an AF store, awaiting “adoption.” From the store’s window, she observes the outside world. Klara is especially drawn to the Sun, the source of her nourishment, whom she views almost as a deity. Klara is finally adopted by Josie, a sickly girl who has been lifted (genetically enhanced), which may be the cause of her illness. Klara believes the nourishing Sun can cure Josie, and sets out to secure a blessing for Josie. |
Klara’s determination to persuade the Sun to nourish Josie and heal her drives much of the plot and sets up a clear contrast between Klara’s limited understanding of the world and that of the humans with whom she interacts.
Klara processes and experiences the world in very different ways from the humans around her. When agitated or disoriented, her visual field pixelates into squares, and strong human emotions become fractured into conflicting images, which creates an unique perspective.
Although Klara’s ultimate fate is bittersweet, it underscores that this Artificial Friend, capable of love and loyalty, is ultimately not human.
The author, Kazuo Ishiguro, won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is most famous for The Remains of the Day, made into a popular movie. Klara and the Sun has a similar emotional complexity and quiet depth.