The Remains of the Day (1989) is the third novel by British-Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro.
It tells the story of Stevens, an English butler who dedicates his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington, only to be confronted in old age with the thought that he may not have made any choices in his life at all. As he sets out on a motoring trip and meets the long since retired housekeeper, Miss Kenton, he ponders the underlying feelings of love for her which were never realised or even fully stated, and he is left with a vague feeling of loss.
However, it is not a pessimistic novel, but rather ends on a dignified note, with the butler trying to come to terms with how he has spent his life, and trying to make the best of what remains. Dignity and what constitutes it is one of the principal themes explored in this novel.
The novel was made into a 1993 film by Merchant Ivory Productions.
A BBC Radio 4 adaptation in two hour-long episodes starring Ian McDiarmid was broadcast on August 8 and August 15, 2003.