In "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro, readers are taken on a haunting journey through the lives of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, who were students at the enigmatic Hailsham School. Set in a darkly skewed version of contemporary England, the story delves into the characters' attempts to come to terms with their childhood at Hailsham and the inevitable fate that awaits them as clones raised for organ donation. The narrative, narrated by Kathy at the age of 31, unfolds slowly, revealing the fragility of life and exploring themes of love, friendship, memory, and the eerie reality of their existence.
The book masterfully weaves together themes of identity, purpose, and the inevitability of mortality, all set within an unsettling alternative reality where the characters grapple with their predetermined destinies. Ishiguro's writing style is described as quiet, foreboding, and painterly, with a patient reveal of the narrative that evokes deep emotions and contemplation. Through a conversational form of storytelling, the novel raises ethical questions and leaves readers pondering the characters' lives and the haunting concept of never being able to escape their fate.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of organ harvesting, cloning, and eventual death which may be distressing for some readers.
Has Romance?
The book contains a medium level of romance explored through the relationships of the characters.
From The Publisher:
From the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The Remains of the Day comes a devastating novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss.
As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special-and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is modern classic.
Ratings (377)
Incredible (97) | |
Loved It (114) | |
Liked It (99) | |
It Was OK (40) | |
Did Not Like (20) | |
Hated It (7) |
Reader Stats (781):
Read It (390) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (294) | |
Did Not Finish (15) | |
Not Interested (80) |
22 comment(s)
my favorite book
I anticipated an intriguing dystopian narrative, only to be swept away by a drama deeply anchored in a love triangle.
What really bothered me about this book is that if you take away the element of a 'Dystopian Future' being attached to it, the narrative would still be the same - Three friends grappling with the stagnant state of the world, struggling to hold everything together as they progress towards their predetermined objective, unaware of its meaning or consequences.
We, as readers, are given a mere taste of the world they inhabit through the use of terms like Carer, Donor, and other such vocabulary, as well as a shallow exposition delivered by the Guardians of Hailsham towards the end of the book. Nothing more substantial is revealed.
The story's chosen perspective also has shortcomings. The first person narrative restricts the information we receive to what the protagonist is willing to reveal as they navigate their world. Despite the freedom to explore her purpose after leaving Hailsham, Kathy consciously chooses to remain unaware as long as she can be with Tommy and Ruth. As time progresses, their sorrowful fate approaches, leaving us with unanswered questions that may never be resolved.
I found this to be quite a mysterious read. It has the feel of a dystopian thriller of sorts and as more details were revealed, I found myself both more confused and curious as to what sort of world (or moreso Britain) this tale was set in. The characters are interesting and the setting mysterious - it had a bit of a feel of The Handmaids Tale about it. Sex is mentioned but I wouldn't say its overly graphic (in an unnecessary sense). It does make for some uncomfortable reading at times and I'm left wondering what it was that I read, as at the end I don't feel I understood everything but in a way that somehow appeals to me, due to the (as I say) mysterious feel it has.
This story continues to haunt me.
I've read this book in 2019, and I've though about the book ever since. This is follows Kathy but she is close to Tommy and Ruth how she grew up with in a strange boarding school, cut off from the ready of the world. Where they are thought they are very special. But the question is why? This book had more layers then an onion and just like an onion some parts of it messed with my eyes. Don't know why. I went from being very confused with the story, not getting the book the first time. To sit for a long time thinking of what I've listened to. This wasn't an hard book to consume but it made me sit and think about a lot of things. It wasn't an happy book but some parts made my heart warm where other parts hurt. it's not extreme in anyway so I'm not sure why this book made me feel so much feelings.
While easily one of the most depressing books I've ever read, this book holds itself together fairly well. Yes, there are some flaws typical of Ishiguro, but overall, the book is heart wrenching, agongy to read through, and entirely worth it.
I can see why this might have gotten squeaked out for the Booker, since, although it is very beautiful, there are some parts where the dialogue drags a bit. A little too many "let me go back and explain this" narrative jumps are just dragggggged out. I kind of want to write him a letter that says "show don't tell." However, this is a great book.
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Second read - I think the first time around, I was so caught up in the mystery of who or what the characters are, and what their fate is, that I didn't remember that with Ishiguro, you have to read what he isn't writing to really get the book. This is just as subtle as
Remains of the Day, with the added layer of mystery. Ruth is so real I feel like I've met her. Kathy and Tommy...I can't even. Ishiguro's writing is so delicate, but he addresses topics that are so difficult. Brilliant. Definitely 5 stars this time around.
6/18/2012
I read through this book fairly quickly, but was never able to get fully involved or invested in the characters or the story. It kept feeling like a big bombshell was about to drop, and when it did, it was not very exciting, because it was pretty obvious from the beginning what was going on. I think I would've preferred a book about the complicated relationships and dynamics occurring at a British boarding school over the overwrought "science fiction" twist of this story.
Nothing special. If I hadn’t known, I wouldn’t have guessed the book was written by a Nobel Prize laureate.
The concept is interesting, and I generally like sci-fi/dystopian futuristic book, but this one was not for me. Primarily, the storyteller and her style is too all over the place and never enough to the point. I had to fight to finish the book, and the ending wasn't much of a payoff. Happy reading.
What can you read after
Never Let Me Go?
About the Author:
Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain at the age of five. His nine works of fiction have earned him many awards and honours around the world, including the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. His work has been trans-lated into over fifty languages. The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were made into acclaimed films. Ishiguro also writes screenplays and song lyrics. He was given a knight-hood in 2018 for Services to Literature. He also holds the decorations of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star from Japan.
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