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Come Rain or Come Shine
Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles.
When Ray turns up to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily, he's given a special task: to be so much his useless self that he makes Charlie look good by comparison.
But Ray has his own buried feelings to contend with. Decades earlier, he and Emily would listen to jazz when they were alone, and now, as Sarah Vaughan sings through the speakers, he struggles to control everything the sound brings with it.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's hands, a snapshot of domestic realism becomes a miniature masterpiece of memory and forgetting.
Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.
When Ray turns up to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily, he's given a special task: to be so much his useless self that he makes Charlie look good by comparison.
But Ray has his own buried feelings to contend with. Decades earlier, he and Emily would listen to jazz when they were alone, and now, as Sarah Vaughan sings through the speakers, he struggles to control everything the sound brings with it.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's hands, a snapshot of domestic realism becomes a miniature masterpiece of memory and forgetting.
Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.
76 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2019
About the author
Kazuo Ishiguro
61 books37.1k followersSir Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ or 石黒 一雄), OBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist of Japanese origin and Nobel Laureate in Literature (2017). His family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course in 1980. He became a British citizen in 1982. He now lives in London.
His first novel, A Pale View of Hills, won the 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. His second novel, An Artist of the Floating World, won the 1986 Whitbread Prize. Ishiguro received the 1989 Man Booker prize for his third novel The Remains of the Day. His fourth novel, The Unconsoled, won the 1995 Cheltenham Prize. His latest novel is The Buried Giant, a New York Times bestseller. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017.
His novels An Artist of the Floating World (1986), When We Were Orphans (2000), and Never Let Me Go (2005) were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
In 2008, The Times ranked Ishiguro 32nd on their list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945". In 2017, the Swedish Academy awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature, describing him in its citation as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world".
His first novel, A Pale View of Hills, won the 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. His second novel, An Artist of the Floating World, won the 1986 Whitbread Prize. Ishiguro received the 1989 Man Booker prize for his third novel The Remains of the Day. His fourth novel, The Unconsoled, won the 1995 Cheltenham Prize. His latest novel is The Buried Giant, a New York Times bestseller. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017.
His novels An Artist of the Floating World (1986), When We Were Orphans (2000), and Never Let Me Go (2005) were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
In 2008, The Times ranked Ishiguro 32nd on their list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945". In 2017, the Swedish Academy awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature, describing him in its citation as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
September 27, 2023
April in Paris
The room filled with lush strings, bluesy horns, and Sarah Vaughan singing ‘Lover man'.
I love Sarah Vaughan’s voice. Her velvet vocal tones and mellifluous songs filling the air in the deep dark hours of the night colour some of the most cherished memories of my student days. Songs of melancholy longing and regret, songs of love, bliss and loneliness. The premise of Kazuo Ishiguro’s short story - three old university friends meeting each other, one of them having his own buried feelings to contend with and struggling to control everything the sound of Sarah Vaughan singing through the speakers brings with it – instantly made me smile with delight, transporting me back in time.
Opening the pages, I assumed embarking on a nostalgic story, possibly with some reminiscences on unrequited love, or a clumsy, timid and heartrending late confession, an emotional twist, perchance phrased with admirable writerly restraint like in The Remains of the Day. Rather than what I had been imagining, soon I found myself belly-laughing, disturbing horribly the grumpy teen son’s drowsy Sunday morning with bouts of laughing visualising some of the silly, absurd acts of the three slightly nutty characters. A second read however unearthed some of the buried emotions and the more subtle flavours beneath the slapstick humour. Do we ever know ourselves? Can old friends really know us that little? Loneliness, the ambiguous nature of friendships, sacrifice, the sense of what could have been, the weight of decisions taken almost instinctively, the sadness and regret which seem inherent to the human condition are shining through strikingly when linking this slice of life to the lyrics of the Ray Charles song that gives the story its title.
We were especially pleased when we found a recording - like Ray Charles singing ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ - where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak.
Unaware this delectable story is a part of Ishiguro's story collection Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, I now definitely wish to read the other stories snugly taking shelter under that beguiling title – and listen to Sarah Vaughan at night, once more.
Regretting instead of forgetting.
The room filled with lush strings, bluesy horns, and Sarah Vaughan singing ‘Lover man'.
I love Sarah Vaughan’s voice. Her velvet vocal tones and mellifluous songs filling the air in the deep dark hours of the night colour some of the most cherished memories of my student days. Songs of melancholy longing and regret, songs of love, bliss and loneliness. The premise of Kazuo Ishiguro’s short story - three old university friends meeting each other, one of them having his own buried feelings to contend with and struggling to control everything the sound of Sarah Vaughan singing through the speakers brings with it – instantly made me smile with delight, transporting me back in time.
Opening the pages, I assumed embarking on a nostalgic story, possibly with some reminiscences on unrequited love, or a clumsy, timid and heartrending late confession, an emotional twist, perchance phrased with admirable writerly restraint like in The Remains of the Day. Rather than what I had been imagining, soon I found myself belly-laughing, disturbing horribly the grumpy teen son’s drowsy Sunday morning with bouts of laughing visualising some of the silly, absurd acts of the three slightly nutty characters. A second read however unearthed some of the buried emotions and the more subtle flavours beneath the slapstick humour. Do we ever know ourselves? Can old friends really know us that little? Loneliness, the ambiguous nature of friendships, sacrifice, the sense of what could have been, the weight of decisions taken almost instinctively, the sadness and regret which seem inherent to the human condition are shining through strikingly when linking this slice of life to the lyrics of the Ray Charles song that gives the story its title.
We were especially pleased when we found a recording - like Ray Charles singing ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ - where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak.
Unaware this delectable story is a part of Ishiguro's story collection Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, I now definitely wish to read the other stories snugly taking shelter under that beguiling title – and listen to Sarah Vaughan at night, once more.
Regretting instead of forgetting.
September 28, 2019
I love Ishiguro and his 'absurdistic', weird out of this world stories. This is seemingly a rather 'normal' story, of a friend visiting a befriended couple in England. But soon you think.... 'what the .... is going on'? And how is this going to end? That is what I like about Ishiguro, the unexpected, the brooding, the weird.
Yes, I read some Ishiguro this year and I hope he will publish a new book soon! Four stars & recommended.
The story: When Ray turns up to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily, he's given a special task: to be so much his useless self that he makes Charlie look good by comparison, to revive the strained relationship between Charlie and Emily. But Ray has his own buried feelings to contend with. Decades earlier, he and Emily would listen to jazz when they were alone, and now, he struggles to control everything the sounds brings with it. A snapshot of domestic realism becomes a miniature masterpiece of memory and forgetting. With a touch of tragedy and humor!
Yes, I read some Ishiguro this year and I hope he will publish a new book soon! Four stars & recommended.
The story: When Ray turns up to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily, he's given a special task: to be so much his useless self that he makes Charlie look good by comparison, to revive the strained relationship between Charlie and Emily. But Ray has his own buried feelings to contend with. Decades earlier, he and Emily would listen to jazz when they were alone, and now, he struggles to control everything the sounds brings with it. A snapshot of domestic realism becomes a miniature masterpiece of memory and forgetting. With a touch of tragedy and humor!
March 3, 2020
Then before you know it, you’re forty-seven years old, and the people you started out with have long ago been replaced by a generation who gossip about different things, take different drugs and listen to different music.
I had been struggling to start off with any books for a few days, perhaps the hangover of Satantango was still lingering upon and was having nauseatic effect on my consciousness. I picked this book today itself and for initial some pages, I felt severely unconnected with the narrative, I guess, the eerie but poetic sentences of Satantango still clouding my memory so much so that new remembrances found it hard to have space for them. However, as I ran through a few pages, it became a soothing experience somewhat like Jazz- it grabs you gradually like old wine- and in fact I finished this little beauty in just more than an hour.
I happened to be in the world of Kazuo Ishiguro for the first time, and this world, built upon melancholic human relationships based upon memory, loss, repentance and absurdity, grabbed hold of my mind quite emphatically. The premise opened up with the narrator thinking about three old university friends meeting each other, of whom he happened to be the one. The pandora box processed unreciprocated love, consummation, anxiety and capitulation and ordained a world of demure, constraint and desolate people, who struggled around each other to keep their world moving. One of them was put under a friendly suppression to hold back his feelings, and ironically, to be as useless as he could have been so that his friend might see the light of day. The sound of Jazz brought back his old days to his memories, but dancing with his friend’s wife and his old friend herself, he cautioned himself to not to show what that heart-wrenching soup might be brimming up inside him, nevertheless his heart disintegrated and those suppressed feelings found their way out through tears.
The author used a restraint narrative quite masterfully here as if he had pulled back himself and allowing the reader to infer, rather than constantly poking with countless authorial interjections. However this did not affect the fluidity of narrative as it flows slowly but melodiously like Jazz. The narrative also went through troughs and crust of undertones which are so carefully wrapped with pleasant words hiding beneath them melancholy of life.
The story was infused with dry humor, required sensitive reader to find beneath it deep human emotions buried under layered human appearances which gnawed at you through absurdity of life; wherein people found loneliness of existence swelled up in mistrust and doubt only to strain human relationships. The aftereffect of which may be sadness, pain and repentance which found their way through the words to the consciousness of the reader like a contagious disease and you’re left dancing on the slow tunes of Jazz flowing through the bitterness of human nature.
’Come Rain or Come Shine’- where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak.
I had been struggling to start off with any books for a few days, perhaps the hangover of Satantango was still lingering upon and was having nauseatic effect on my consciousness. I picked this book today itself and for initial some pages, I felt severely unconnected with the narrative, I guess, the eerie but poetic sentences of Satantango still clouding my memory so much so that new remembrances found it hard to have space for them. However, as I ran through a few pages, it became a soothing experience somewhat like Jazz- it grabs you gradually like old wine- and in fact I finished this little beauty in just more than an hour.
I happened to be in the world of Kazuo Ishiguro for the first time, and this world, built upon melancholic human relationships based upon memory, loss, repentance and absurdity, grabbed hold of my mind quite emphatically. The premise opened up with the narrator thinking about three old university friends meeting each other, of whom he happened to be the one. The pandora box processed unreciprocated love, consummation, anxiety and capitulation and ordained a world of demure, constraint and desolate people, who struggled around each other to keep their world moving. One of them was put under a friendly suppression to hold back his feelings, and ironically, to be as useless as he could have been so that his friend might see the light of day. The sound of Jazz brought back his old days to his memories, but dancing with his friend’s wife and his old friend herself, he cautioned himself to not to show what that heart-wrenching soup might be brimming up inside him, nevertheless his heart disintegrated and those suppressed feelings found their way out through tears.
The author used a restraint narrative quite masterfully here as if he had pulled back himself and allowing the reader to infer, rather than constantly poking with countless authorial interjections. However this did not affect the fluidity of narrative as it flows slowly but melodiously like Jazz. The narrative also went through troughs and crust of undertones which are so carefully wrapped with pleasant words hiding beneath them melancholy of life.
The story was infused with dry humor, required sensitive reader to find beneath it deep human emotions buried under layered human appearances which gnawed at you through absurdity of life; wherein people found loneliness of existence swelled up in mistrust and doubt only to strain human relationships. The aftereffect of which may be sadness, pain and repentance which found their way through the words to the consciousness of the reader like a contagious disease and you’re left dancing on the slow tunes of Jazz flowing through the bitterness of human nature.
’Come Rain or Come Shine’- where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak.
September 12, 2024
3.5? 4 stars? I’m not sure… mainly because this was a very odd yet interesting story. It made me think and question things, which is what I love about all of Ishiguro’s writing. He never ceases to write captivating yet outlandish (in a good way) stories… and I’ll very happily read them all!
April 9, 2019
I almost didn’t read this one because I wasn’t in the mood for what I thought would be a maudlin monologue told from the perspective of a regretful old person involved in the fascist side of World War 2, a la The Remains of the Day and An Artist of the Floating World.
I am so glad I took a chance and went for it anyway because Come Rain or Come Shine is nothing like that at all - who knew Kazuo Ishiguro could write comedy so brilliantly? This is like a lost episode of Fawlty Towers or a French comedy like The Bird Cage. Oh, I loved it!
Ray, a teacher in Spain, comes to London to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily - except their marriage is going through a rough patch. Charlie’s going off for a few days on a business trip and tasks Ray with fixing his marriage by cheering Emily up somehow. But then she goes to work, leaving Ray all alone in the flat and… well, Ray does something stupid, then tries to fix it, makes it even worse, and things spiral downwards hilariously from there.
I really loved how over the top Charlie and Emily were. I imagined Charlie as a forty-something Rik Mayall character who goes from zero to sixty at the drop of a hat - one moment he’s calm, the next he’s screaming and mentioning suicide! Emily was just as nutso - one minute she’s aloof, the next she’s friendly, then she’s treating Ray like he’s a mental patient (though to be fair Ray really doesn’t help dissuade the comparison)!
This could be an amazing one act play. All the action takes place in a flat, there’s only three characters and the lunacy involves everyday stuff but the dialogue and the silly situations Ray finds himself in are so inspired.
The title comes from the Ray Charles song and the two male characters are called Ray and Charles though I’m not really sure why either detail is important to the story. Ray and Emily both liked jazz at university but that’s about it, I think? It’s an odd aspect to emphasise.
Come Rain or Come Shine is one of the funniest short stories I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it to anyone after a laugh - a highly entertaining and totally unexpected turn from this normally staid literary writer.
I am so glad I took a chance and went for it anyway because Come Rain or Come Shine is nothing like that at all - who knew Kazuo Ishiguro could write comedy so brilliantly? This is like a lost episode of Fawlty Towers or a French comedy like The Bird Cage. Oh, I loved it!
Ray, a teacher in Spain, comes to London to visit his old university friends Charlie and Emily - except their marriage is going through a rough patch. Charlie’s going off for a few days on a business trip and tasks Ray with fixing his marriage by cheering Emily up somehow. But then she goes to work, leaving Ray all alone in the flat and… well, Ray does something stupid, then tries to fix it, makes it even worse, and things spiral downwards hilariously from there.
I really loved how over the top Charlie and Emily were. I imagined Charlie as a forty-something Rik Mayall character who goes from zero to sixty at the drop of a hat - one moment he’s calm, the next he’s screaming and mentioning suicide! Emily was just as nutso - one minute she’s aloof, the next she’s friendly, then she’s treating Ray like he’s a mental patient (though to be fair Ray really doesn’t help dissuade the comparison)!
This could be an amazing one act play. All the action takes place in a flat, there’s only three characters and the lunacy involves everyday stuff but the dialogue and the silly situations Ray finds himself in are so inspired.
The title comes from the Ray Charles song and the two male characters are called Ray and Charles though I’m not really sure why either detail is important to the story. Ray and Emily both liked jazz at university but that’s about it, I think? It’s an odd aspect to emphasise.
Come Rain or Come Shine is one of the funniest short stories I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it to anyone after a laugh - a highly entertaining and totally unexpected turn from this normally staid literary writer.
February 15, 2023
This was definitely a bit absurd but not in a good way. It just seemed kind of silly to me and I didn’t like any of the characters.
July 11, 2022
absurd but not in a hot girl way i'm afraid :(
February 25, 2020
’So you decided to invite me for a visit. To be Mr Perspective.’
Sometimes all it takes to save a marriage is a subtle shift in perspective. Things could always be worse.
‘She welcomed me into the apartment the way she might a very aged and frail relative.’
Convince your partner of your worthiness by means of downward comparison with an unfortunate friend.
’We could be like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.’
The ‘Great American Songbook’ might, however, derail this scheme.
Sometimes all it takes to save a marriage is a subtle shift in perspective. Things could always be worse.
‘She welcomed me into the apartment the way she might a very aged and frail relative.’
Convince your partner of your worthiness by means of downward comparison with an unfortunate friend.
’We could be like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.’
The ‘Great American Songbook’ might, however, derail this scheme.
Read
September 26, 2019I read this in two uneven chunks and by pure chance my reading break occurred just before the caesura in the story.
A short short depends on it's caesura so I must be careful to reveal absolutely nothing , not the merest hint of a breath of that break.
The story is an everyday tale of a triangular relationship, a married couple Charlie and Emily, and Ray (Raymond ) - the narrator, who all met and became friends half a lifetime earlier at what sounds suspiciously like the University of Sussex .
The story is set up so that in the first half we understand the relationships between the three in a certain way, then there is the caesura, the break, an event after which as the story plays out its last lingering notes, one can begin to understand the relationships in a (maybe very) different way. Everything is a matter of interpretation: "We loved playing different versions of the same song,then arguing about the lyrics, or about the singers' interpretations. was that line really supposed to be sung so ironically? Was it better to sing 'Georgia on my Mind' as though Georgia was a woman or the place in America? We were especially pleased when we found a recording - like Ray Charlrs sing 'Come Rain or Come Shine' - where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak." (p.3). I am not sure how much of a spoiler it is to say that an interpretation can on occasion be wrong, and that there can be a risk in over interpreting.
Maybe because I have read other Ishiguro books certain ideas occurred to me, I don't know if they were just leakage from those 'other' books or if they arose purely from this story.
Anyway the break point in this story made me laugh and I found tears in my eyes, but if from the story, or because I had just come in from outside and had had the wind in my eyes, I can't say or know.
A short short depends on it's caesura so I must be careful to reveal absolutely nothing , not the merest hint of a breath of that break.
The story is an everyday tale of a triangular relationship, a married couple Charlie and Emily, and Ray (Raymond ) - the narrator, who all met and became friends half a lifetime earlier at what sounds suspiciously like the University of Sussex .
The story is set up so that in the first half we understand the relationships between the three in a certain way, then there is the caesura, the break, an event after which as the story plays out its last lingering notes, one can begin to understand the relationships in a (maybe very) different way. Everything is a matter of interpretation: "We loved playing different versions of the same song,then arguing about the lyrics, or about the singers' interpretations. was that line really supposed to be sung so ironically? Was it better to sing 'Georgia on my Mind' as though Georgia was a woman or the place in America? We were especially pleased when we found a recording - like Ray Charlrs sing 'Come Rain or Come Shine' - where the words themselves were happy, but the interpretation was pure heartbreak." (p.3). I am not sure how much of a spoiler it is to say that an interpretation can on occasion be wrong, and that there can be a risk in over interpreting.
Maybe because I have read other Ishiguro books certain ideas occurred to me, I don't know if they were just leakage from those 'other' books or if they arose purely from this story.
Anyway the break point in this story made me laugh and I found tears in my eyes, but if from the story, or because I had just come in from outside and had had the wind in my eyes, I can't say or know.
February 7, 2022
There is something so mesmerising, melancholic yet captivating about Kazuo Ishiguro’s writing style, which perhaps explain why readers cannot help but being drawn into his books. This one is no exception, and if one gets to choose one word to describe it, it would probably be bittersweet.
This book would be recommended for someone interested in reading a short yet realistic story about marriage life and the importance of friendship, as well as the complexity underneath the term relationship, and not to view it through a rather rose-tinted glass.
A poignant and thoughtful read, indeed.
Actual rating: 3.9/5 ☆
This book would be recommended for someone interested in reading a short yet realistic story about marriage life and the importance of friendship, as well as the complexity underneath the term relationship, and not to view it through a rather rose-tinted glass.
A poignant and thoughtful read, indeed.
Actual rating: 3.9/5 ☆
June 4, 2020
Hilarious, melancholic, percipient.
November 30, 2023
বহিরঙ্গে কৌতুকাবহ, অন্তরঙ্গে বিষাদময় এ উপন্যাসিকায় ছোট ছোট ঘটনার মাধ্যমে দাম্পত্য জীবন, সম্পর্ক, অনুতাপ ও মানুষের চিরায়ত স্বভাব নিয়ে আলোকপাত করেছেন ইশিগুরো। এই অদ্ভুত হাস্যরসাত্মক অথচ শোকাতুর পরিস্থিতি সৃষ্টি করা লেখকের এক অনন্য বৈশিষ্ট্য।
August 28, 2021
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3.5 stars
Laugh-out-loud funny.
There was something quintessentially British about this. That sort of awkward inability to 'come' out and just say or admit something, opting instead for an obvious lie or a weird silence.
Ishiguro's story is so ordinary as to appear almost surreal. The way in which a small decision leads the narrator to execute what I can best describe as the most foolishly hilarious plan I have ever come across. In order to avoid a confrontation with an old friend he ends up following someone else's not so brilliant advice...and what follows is as hilarious as it is weird.
This was a fun and easy read, and if I ever feel the need for a quick pick-me-up-read, I will probably re-read this.
3.5 stars
Laugh-out-loud funny.
There was something quintessentially British about this. That sort of awkward inability to 'come' out and just say or admit something, opting instead for an obvious lie or a weird silence.
Ishiguro's story is so ordinary as to appear almost surreal. The way in which a small decision leads the narrator to execute what I can best describe as the most foolishly hilarious plan I have ever come across. In order to avoid a confrontation with an old friend he ends up following someone else's not so brilliant advice...and what follows is as hilarious as it is weird.
This was a fun and easy read, and if I ever feel the need for a quick pick-me-up-read, I will probably re-read this.
January 3, 2019
The version I obtained is missing the preamble. So here it is:
(Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown - April in Paris, playing in the background).
Ray: So, Kazuo, what are you working on these days?
Kazuo: Nothing much...
Ray: Writer's block?
Kazuo: Nah. I just don't want to tell a book critic what I am up to.
Ray: You have been always like this. Every book you write is against everybody's expectation.
Kazuo: Not on purpose. I like to try everything at least once.
Ray: You are kidding me. But you know what, there is something you'd never be able to do.
Kazuo: ?
Ray: You are always so deadpan serious. I doubt you can write something truly funny.
Kazuo: Let me switch the record.
(Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown - April in Paris, playing in the background).
Ray: So, Kazuo, what are you working on these days?
Kazuo: Nothing much...
Ray: Writer's block?
Kazuo: Nah. I just don't want to tell a book critic what I am up to.
Ray: You have been always like this. Every book you write is against everybody's expectation.
Kazuo: Not on purpose. I like to try everything at least once.
Ray: You are kidding me. But you know what, there is something you'd never be able to do.
Kazuo: ?
Ray: You are always so deadpan serious. I doubt you can write something truly funny.
Kazuo: Let me switch the record.
January 8, 2020
I never saw Ishiguro as an author who could make me laugh but with this short story I did and loudly.
As with every Ishiguro novel memory is an integral part of his plots. Here the focus is on Ray, whose best friend in college, Jonathan, married another good friend, Emily. Occasionally Ray visits the couple and sleeps over.
After a long time Jonathan contacts Ray and asks him to stay over the reason is that their marriage is slowly falling apart and Jonathan wants Emily to realise that Jonathan is not stuck in a time warp like Ray, who has been teaching English to foreigners ever since he was 17 (he’s now 47) Ray accepts.
Ray then accidentally destroys Emily’s diary and comes up with a ridiculous ruse to disguise it, only to be approached by Emily and he tells her that Jonathan only loves her and wants to have the happy marriage of the past.
As I said there are some truly funny moments and some tender ones as well. The title of the story comes from a Ray Charles song, which is apt as Ray and Emily share similar musical tastes and it is this factor which makes Emily realise her feelings towards both Ray and Jonathan. As a story it’s not as predictable as I make it seem and it does have a lovable quirkiness to it.
The story itself can be bought separately as part of the Faber Stories collection but it’s also found in Ishiguro’s short story anthology Nocturnes. Which I will be checking out.
As with every Ishiguro novel memory is an integral part of his plots. Here the focus is on Ray, whose best friend in college, Jonathan, married another good friend, Emily. Occasionally Ray visits the couple and sleeps over.
After a long time Jonathan contacts Ray and asks him to stay over the reason is that their marriage is slowly falling apart and Jonathan wants Emily to realise that Jonathan is not stuck in a time warp like Ray, who has been teaching English to foreigners ever since he was 17 (he’s now 47) Ray accepts.
Ray then accidentally destroys Emily’s diary and comes up with a ridiculous ruse to disguise it, only to be approached by Emily and he tells her that Jonathan only loves her and wants to have the happy marriage of the past.
As I said there are some truly funny moments and some tender ones as well. The title of the story comes from a Ray Charles song, which is apt as Ray and Emily share similar musical tastes and it is this factor which makes Emily realise her feelings towards both Ray and Jonathan. As a story it’s not as predictable as I make it seem and it does have a lovable quirkiness to it.
The story itself can be bought separately as part of the Faber Stories collection but it’s also found in Ishiguro’s short story anthology Nocturnes. Which I will be checking out.
September 21, 2019
I was not expecting this plot. Quite impressive and surprising for me. Two men and a woman. There could be a story of cheating and temptation. Whereas, no, here, absurd events take places. When reading, you’ll smile in irony. I liked the sarcasm of Ishiguro.
June 23, 2022
2.5 I guess? Didn’t really do much for me.
January 17, 2021
Recently, I'm on a quest to read as many Faber Story series as possible. Thus far, none have fallen short.
I was excited to delve into this tiny paperback today.
It was an odd story indeed. The story started off with the protagonist, Raymond, sharing a similar taste of music from the American Songbook with Emily - a somewhat occurrence in the days of the 50's/60's. Eventually, Emily married his best friend Charlie. Years passed and he lived in different parts of the world, teaching English to children in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the likes. On occasions, he would visit them and his prepared room would be likened to that of a hotel room, complete with amenities, fluffed up pillows, piles of magazines on the bedside table, etc. But on one particular occasion, Raymond was invited for a visit and his usual room was in shambles. Charlie invited him over for the sole purpose of having Emily see the failure of a man Raymond is (in Charlie's eyes, Raymond having stuck to teaching all these years is considered a 'failure') and would be grateful and appreciate Charlie. Hence, Charlie thinks Raymond's presence would save his marriage.
What happened to Charlie? He claimed that while Raymond was a guest in his house, he would have to fly to Germany to attend a meeting. All the while, from the airport, while waiting for his flight, to arriving in Germany, Charlie keeps calling Raymond for 'updates' or to plan their strategy to make Emily resent Raymond, even to the point of Charlie giving Raymond and old recipe on how to cook up a foul, dog smell. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be ridiculously funny or something else altogether.
The recipe for creating a dog-like smell:
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 dessertspoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of paparika
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- generous lots of bay leaves
- put in a leather shoe/boot upside down to boil and to ensure that the sole is not immersed in liquid (no so leather burning smell).
From here, bring it to a boil and let it simmer.
I find the whole storyline odd, always turning the page and hoping for a hidden surprise, or that Emily secretly harbored a crush for Raymond (typical, I know!), or there is some secret agenda either on Charlie or Emily's side that is waiting to be revealed.
Alas, but no, the story ended with Emily and Charlie dancing along to their old favourite 8 minute song. This really leaves the reader wondering if there could be some spark between Emily or Charlie.
I was excited to delve into this tiny paperback today.
It was an odd story indeed. The story started off with the protagonist, Raymond, sharing a similar taste of music from the American Songbook with Emily - a somewhat occurrence in the days of the 50's/60's. Eventually, Emily married his best friend Charlie. Years passed and he lived in different parts of the world, teaching English to children in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the likes. On occasions, he would visit them and his prepared room would be likened to that of a hotel room, complete with amenities, fluffed up pillows, piles of magazines on the bedside table, etc. But on one particular occasion, Raymond was invited for a visit and his usual room was in shambles. Charlie invited him over for the sole purpose of having Emily see the failure of a man Raymond is (in Charlie's eyes, Raymond having stuck to teaching all these years is considered a 'failure') and would be grateful and appreciate Charlie. Hence, Charlie thinks Raymond's presence would save his marriage.
What happened to Charlie? He claimed that while Raymond was a guest in his house, he would have to fly to Germany to attend a meeting. All the while, from the airport, while waiting for his flight, to arriving in Germany, Charlie keeps calling Raymond for 'updates' or to plan their strategy to make Emily resent Raymond, even to the point of Charlie giving Raymond and old recipe on how to cook up a foul, dog smell. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be ridiculously funny or something else altogether.
The recipe for creating a dog-like smell:
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 dessertspoon of cumin
- 1 tablespoon of paparika
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- generous lots of bay leaves
- put in a leather shoe/boot upside down to boil and to ensure that the sole is not immersed in liquid (no so leather burning smell).
From here, bring it to a boil and let it simmer.
I find the whole storyline odd, always turning the page and hoping for a hidden surprise, or that Emily secretly harbored a crush for Raymond (typical, I know!), or there is some secret agenda either on Charlie or Emily's side that is waiting to be revealed.
Alas, but no, the story ended with Emily and Charlie dancing along to their old favourite 8 minute song. This really leaves the reader wondering if there could be some spark between Emily or Charlie.
May 21, 2019
Laugh-out-loud funny. Lapped it up in a few hours in 2 sittings. A sharp diversion from ishiguro's usually pensive, ruminative style. There is no moral or take home message at the end of it. And I think I prefer it that way. But the beauty of it lies in the setting, the foibles of all 3 characters (delicately handled) and the extremely realistic (not the slightest bit forced) interactions between them, as the story hops, skips and jumps through a day's timeline.
Emily remains a bit of an enigma but a bit of a nutty enigma nontheless. Ray's frantic attempts at cleaning up after himself, and yet finding himself in much more of a mess, was endearing. Charlie was an insecure asshat, oscillating between 2 extremes - 'calm' and 'going batshit crazy, frequently bursting into a sob'.
The detail about Emily and Ray being jazz earworms in their university days stuck out like a sore thumb, and was used to close the act off. Although I must admit, I'm tempted to listen to each of the artists mentioned in the story.
The lunacy played out spectacularly, in this short one act script. Props to the author for the lucid, descriptive yet easy to read text
Emily remains a bit of an enigma but a bit of a nutty enigma nontheless. Ray's frantic attempts at cleaning up after himself, and yet finding himself in much more of a mess, was endearing. Charlie was an insecure asshat, oscillating between 2 extremes - 'calm' and 'going batshit crazy, frequently bursting into a sob'.
The detail about Emily and Ray being jazz earworms in their university days stuck out like a sore thumb, and was used to close the act off. Although I must admit, I'm tempted to listen to each of the artists mentioned in the story.
The lunacy played out spectacularly, in this short one act script. Props to the author for the lucid, descriptive yet easy to read text
June 24, 2022
This is a literal masterpiece, Mr Ishiguro!!!
This short comedy tells a story of domesticity and several hilarious (but also agonisingly sad) fickle friendships.
This story follows Ray, who has just travelled to visit his old university friends, Charlie and Emily. Ray, who believed that he was invited simply so that the married couple could enjoy his company, finds out that Charlie has other plans for him. To fix his damaged relationship, Charlie asks Ray to simply be himself around Emily for a few days, while Charlie goes away for work, so as to remind her of how lucky she is to not be married to someone so pathetic (I know right, isn’t Charlie just the greatest friend you could ever ask for??? *rolls eyes*)! The events that take place while Charlie is away are not only extremely farcical and wildly entertaining, they also capture the struggles of growing old and feeling miserably out of place.
For 76 pages, Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ is triumphant.
This short comedy tells a story of domesticity and several hilarious (but also agonisingly sad) fickle friendships.
This story follows Ray, who has just travelled to visit his old university friends, Charlie and Emily. Ray, who believed that he was invited simply so that the married couple could enjoy his company, finds out that Charlie has other plans for him. To fix his damaged relationship, Charlie asks Ray to simply be himself around Emily for a few days, while Charlie goes away for work, so as to remind her of how lucky she is to not be married to someone so pathetic (I know right, isn’t Charlie just the greatest friend you could ever ask for??? *rolls eyes*)! The events that take place while Charlie is away are not only extremely farcical and wildly entertaining, they also capture the struggles of growing old and feeling miserably out of place.
For 76 pages, Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ is triumphant.
Read
February 19, 2021This is another one of the Faber stories collection - slightly longer than the previous instalments I have read however just as poignant and vivid if not more so. This little peek in to British suburban life is all the precious for its seemingly normal view.
True the events show how one person can the glue that everyone needs however successful or not they may personally be but also how rich every day life can be. We all have stories to tell and this vinaigrette proves that we all can be special if we let ourselves be as long as we do not let parts of us slip away.
I will admit that this is the first piece of work written by Kazuo Ishiguro that I have read and I have to say for all the high brow praise I have seen heaped on the authors shoulders this book is remarkably down to earth and easy to read. I guess another preconception of mine blown away.
True the events show how one person can the glue that everyone needs however successful or not they may personally be but also how rich every day life can be. We all have stories to tell and this vinaigrette proves that we all can be special if we let ourselves be as long as we do not let parts of us slip away.
I will admit that this is the first piece of work written by Kazuo Ishiguro that I have read and I have to say for all the high brow praise I have seen heaped on the authors shoulders this book is remarkably down to earth and easy to read. I guess another preconception of mine blown away.
June 28, 2023
I can’t remember where but I’m a 100% certain that I’ve read this story before. It could have been from one of Ishiguro’s own books but I think there should have been at least been a disclaimer that this is just a short story taken from elsewhere. EDIT: The story is indeed from his collection of short stories written in 2009, Nocturnes.
January 4, 2019
I was so excited when I saw this under "new releases", but after buying it I realized it's one of the stories from "Nocturnes", which I read back in 2013. Oh well, time spent with Ishiguro is time spent well.
October 9, 2019
2,5*
Há quem diga que Kazuo Ishiguro, tendo em conta a sua ascendência, é demasiado britânico. É pena que não seja britânico o suficiente no que toca ao humor. "We are not amused".
Há quem diga que Kazuo Ishiguro, tendo em conta a sua ascendência, é demasiado britânico. É pena que não seja britânico o suficiente no que toca ao humor. "We are not amused".
March 29, 2023
reread, 3.5/5: i just wish men weren't real
April 3, 2019
Reading this short story is a sensory experience, mixing the tunes of old blues, the smell of a wet dog, the light of the starry night and the silence of things left unsaid. Goes well with the music of Stacey Kent or Sarah Vaughan and the title is actually the name of a song played by Ray Charles.
December 6, 2022
There is only so much a writer can unpack in a short story, and Ishiguro delivered.
September 1, 2022
কাজুও ইশিগুরোর একটা গল্প পড়লাম। ছোট গল্প। ‘কাম রেইন অর কাম শাইন’। বাংলায় যদি অনুবাদ করি, এর অর্থ কি হ’তে পারে? ‘যত যাই হোক’? ‘তবুও এসো’? নাহ, হচ্ছে না। নামটা যেমন আছে তেমন থাকুক। কিছুদিন আগে মোহগ্রস্তের মত পড়েছিলাম ‘নেভার লেট মি গো’। এখানেও অনুভব করলাম সেই একই রকম মন্ত্রমুগ্ধতা।
বাস্তবে অতীতে যা ঘটে তার উপরে আংশিক বিস্মৃতির পলি জমে তৈরি হয় আমাদের স্মৃতি আর স্মৃতিকাতরতা। সেই স্মৃতি আর সম্পর্ক - এগুলো নিয়ে মিঃ ইশিগুরো এমনভাবে লেখেন পড়তে গিয়ে বিস্ময় জাগে। গল্প শেষে ইউটিউব খুঁজে গ্রীষ্মের এই শেষ বেলাতে সারাহ ভনের বসন্তের গান ‘এপ্রিল ইন প্যারিস’ শোনা হয় খানিকক্ষণ।
অকারণে চোখ ভিজে আসে। অসহায়ত্বের কারণে। ঐ মুহূর্তের অনুভূতিটা প্রকাশ করতে না পারার অসহায়ত্ব। অবশ করে ফেলে। মনে হ’তে থাকে আজকেও গতকালের মত জার্নালে লিখে রাখব- ‘এই পৃষ্ঠাটি ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে ফাঁকা রাখা হয়েছে। This page is intentionally left blank.’
বাস্তবে অতীতে যা ঘটে তার উপরে আংশিক বিস্মৃতির পলি জমে তৈরি হয় আমাদের স্মৃতি আর স্মৃতিকাতরতা। সেই স্মৃতি আর সম্পর্ক - এগুলো নিয়ে মিঃ ইশিগুরো এমনভাবে লেখেন পড়তে গিয়ে বিস্ময় জাগে। গল্প শেষে ইউটিউব খুঁজে গ্রীষ্মের এই শেষ বেলাতে সারাহ ভনের বসন্তের গান ‘এপ্রিল ইন প্যারিস’ শোনা হয় খানিকক্ষণ।
অকারণে চোখ ভিজে আসে। অসহায়ত্বের কারণে। ঐ মুহূর্তের অনুভূতিটা প্রকাশ করতে না পারার অসহায়ত্ব। অবশ করে ফেলে। মনে হ’তে থাকে আজকেও গতকালের মত জার্নালে লিখে রাখব- ‘এই পৃষ্ঠাটি ইচ্ছাকৃতভাবে ফাঁকা রাখা হয়েছে। This page is intentionally left blank.’
December 13, 2023
Another good and weird short story. The eeriness and character’s feelings of alienation reminded me of Ishiguro’s novels. Unlike most short stories, I think it was the perfect length. The many layers of deception and misunderstandings between the characters were interesting and even funny when things didn’t go as planned.
July 17, 2019
This book could genuinely not have come at a better time for me. This is my first Kazuo Ishiguro but now I know I have to pick up more of his books. Even in such a short piece of writing, I could understand the characters, and I loved the sort of 'slice of life' style that I also favour in anime and TV series.
Although these characters are middle-aged, I think the main character Ray is easy to relate to for anyone of any age. Being the least interesting and successful of one's friends, only being taken an interest in when there is something to gain for the other person, being easily manipulated, and being looked down upon are things that the majority of us can relate to. I'm glad I picked this up when I did because it reaffirmed that others feel these things too.
This is an amazing portrait of old friends, city life, relationship barriers, and the oddities of human nature.
Although these characters are middle-aged, I think the main character Ray is easy to relate to for anyone of any age. Being the least interesting and successful of one's friends, only being taken an interest in when there is something to gain for the other person, being easily manipulated, and being looked down upon are things that the majority of us can relate to. I'm glad I picked this up when I did because it reaffirmed that others feel these things too.
This is an amazing portrait of old friends, city life, relationship barriers, and the oddities of human nature.
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