Book Club with a British Butler

The selection for this month was better as a book than a movie--yet it is one of my favorite movies!  "The Remains of the Day" starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson is incredibly well-acted, with many opportunities for tear-jerking whenever the Butler puts his duty over opportunities for affection.  The book also has missed-romance scenes, but it is moreover a witty narrative of a British butler's life with its dignified image of serving many years in the grand house of Lord Darlington. Stevens is the consummate butler who aims for perfection with chore schedules, controlled responses to bantering, and an efficient use of spare moments at the end of the day.  The author has seamlessly woven in foreshadowing, the sprinkling of real political figures and World War II intrigue, as well as several reserved British characters themselves to make the book an Anglophile's gem.  Although the love is unrequited, the humanity of each character is truly believable and touches the heart of the reader.  I loved it!