'The Remains of the Day'

Isn't it funny how servants and butlers have impacted popular culture. Look at Stevens in "The Remains of the Day" or Jeeves in P.G. Wodehouse's novels.

Then the mindless pop culture reference: "Mr. Belvedere," "Hazel," "Charles in Charge," Uncle Charlie from "My Three Sons," Berta from "Two and a Half Men," Rosie from "The Jetsons" and countless others.

The trend throughout: They're poorer and looked down upon, but they're smarter. The noble savages of modern literature and culture.

"The Remains of the Day" is a poignant and just good novel.

Fascinating title that entertwines itself through several themes of the book.

The most interesting being the dying days of the large houses in England following World War II and probably the dying days of Europe as it once was known.

The innocence was lost. The loyalty of the servants to the master lost just as the people lost a certain amount of loyalty to the monarchy, to leadership. Just when we thought those in charge were infalliable, it took World War II to make us all realize that the guys making all the decisions deserved to have the public looking over their shoulder.

It wasn't so much the machine was broken, just the environment had evolved. And as in every form of evolution, it's a case of the survival of the fittest.