Never Let Me Go (original 2005; edition 2005)

How can you ask a world that has come to regard cancer as curable, how can you ask such a world to put away that cure, to go back to the dark days? There was no going back.The underlying premise to Never Let Me Go might be totally unacceptable to some - if that’s the case, you’ll probably dismiss the careful building-up of atmosphere, the odd nostalgia one starts to feel, the personalities, the details that seem so sharp. However if you can say OK, I’m in, you’ll find it very poignant indeed. I dragged my feet finishing because I did not want the inevitable fate to happen to Tommy & Ruth, and later for Kathy. As for the premise, really, it isn’t any less believable than what other dystopias present. And, yes, we have too many similar examples in our world to just dismiss it. ( )

I really, really wanted to fall head over heels in love with this book--and for awhile there, I did. Ishiguro has a beautiful writing style; in Kathy's (the narrator) voice, you could always feel every ounce of pain or fondness that the moments of her life brought her at the time and bring her now, as she relays them to the audience.

The first two parts of the book (the book is separated into three sections) had me flipping each page faster than the one before, because I just wanted to know so badly what was going to happen to our protagonist and our friends. The characters all felt very real, in the sense that, even though these individuals are reared "just" as future organ donors, you kept thinking to yourself, "Oh, I know someone just like Ruth!" But by the third section of the book, I just became really disappointed. It felt as though Ishiguro thought, "I really need to wrap this up, ASAP" and rushed the ending. Maybe it was just because it was such a departure from the first two sections, but by the end, I felt somewhat unfulfilled. For a lot of the novel, you are left wondering certain things about the Hailsham kids' upbringings and futures, and in a way, I think the book would have been better had not all these mysteries been revealed. I especially disliked the way in which most of the novel's questions (not necessarily the emotional questions, but the plot-based ones) were revealed... it just felt off and a little random.

I still gave it a high-ish rating because of how much of it I did enjoy. It also makes you think, and it is, even as the end sort of slows down, a generally engrossing novel. ( )

Recommend both the book and the film; they both capture a thrilling, chilling, poignant atmosphere. ( )

Such a great book. On one hand, it gives a view about a different kind of world, but the question is really not that far from our society as it may seem. And on the other hand, it has so much human feeling that it's kind of heartbreaking. And this heartbreaking part is what makes it so beautiful. ( )

I can't believe that I am going to say this but the movie was better than the book. I was a little more than half way through the book when I decided to see the movie and it was a great decision. I was so confused by what was happening in the book, I was ready to put the book down and just leave it but the movie cleared up so much that I was able to finish the book within two days.

"Never Let Me Go" is a strange look into what life would be like if people were created to be clones whose main purpose was to give their life (by donating organs) to others. The book brings up many issues about morality, medical ethics, human cloning and classes of people.

The story is told by Kathy who now is 31 and is reminiscing about the past. She talks about growing up with Tommy and Ruth at Hailsham, a "type" of boarding school in the English countryside to moving to the Cottages after school and finally meeting up again after many years. When the three meet up again Tommy and Ruth have already begun their donations while Kathy becomes the "carer" for them both. ( )

disturbing, even chilling. ( )

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first read this book. I was pretty much unfamiliar with Kazuo Ishiguro when I purchased this book. But I really did love and enjoy this book. It was a very bittersweet read and after reading many books with a "happily ever after" type ending it was refreshing to read something that didn't quite fit that category.

I very much felt for all the characters though I didn't quite enjoy Ruth as much as the other two, I didn't actually dislike her either. I also loved that what the characters' purpose was was only some what explained. I couldn't quite figure out what they were but was quite happy with either of the two possibilities I came up with.

In the end I am glad I purchased this book and believe I will be revisiting it many times in the future. ( )

http://alliscballread.blogspot.com/2011/02/allis-cbr-iii-review-6-never-let-me-g... ( )

A compelling story set in the late 1990s. The novel features a group of students at what seems to be a boarding school situated in the remote English countryside. Kathy, now 31, reminisces about herself and two closest friends, Ruth and Tommy, looking back at their time together at school and afterwards.
It gradually becomes apparent that this is no ordinary school as we would know it and Ishiguro raises concerns about the morality of how we treat others who may be different from ourselves. Questions of love between the three are explored and the possible disturbing use of education is raised. Are these students being educated or are they being prepared for what awaits them, as they appear to be resigned to their futures?
Beautifully written, Ishiguro has created a world that is part idyllic, part terrifying.

I'm not exactly a monster fan of this book. The ending did get to me (especially the part where they talk to Miss Emily). However the rest of the book was difficult for me to get into. It was easy enough to read, but I guess I don't have much patience for other peoples social problems. Because in my view that was what most of this book was about, the small problems of small children that have been belittled too much. Sounds a bit harsh perhaps, I know. But I just couldn't get into it that much. ( )

I really like this book. It made me think, and I wondered why these students didn't rebel against their system. At some point started to look ahead in the chapters to try and see what the author was alluding to ("carers" and "donors). And I thought that the "donors" were donating money and that the "carers" were the persons who cared for them. I guess it was the meandering prose that made me feel exasperated with the story. But I kept reading and then was entralled with what was happening. And then I was a bit stunned by the end. And the book got me wondering whether these dystopas really exist in England. Do they? Or did they?

The book really made me think that this may actually be happening in our world. ( )

I didn't love this book. Ishiguro's exploration of moral issues related to human cloning, medical ethics, and the meaning of human experience is interesting and I couldn't put it down once I got to the final third of the narrative. However, Kathy's rambling, adolescent storytelling style never quite felt authentic to me. Perhaps that was intentional given the limited and foreshortened experience Kathy was allowed to have: it kept me from caring about her as deeply as I wanted to but it was also less emotionally manipulative than this material would have been in the hands of a less talented writer. Gently recommended. ( )

Enjoyed this book. I actually found myself wanting read this one, even on my lunch break. ( )

Although this book could be considered a sci fi novel due to the subject matter, it's more of a philosophical look at what it means to be human. Its tone is quiet and restrained, yet it's one of the most emotional, heart-rending novels I've read in a long time. The story is told from the point of view of a young woman who was raised in a strange boarding school, and who spent her youth trying to understand her purpose in life.

Never Let Me Go is a a beautiful, understated novel and it may not appeal to hard-core fans of science fiction. And because the author is more interested in the metaphysical aspects of the soul rather than the scientific basis for his setting, the world-building is sub-par and there are many, many problems with his scenario. But because the book is meant to be a statement on what it means to human rather than what it takes to build such a society, I was able to overlook the problems and focus on the strengths. ( )

This book is a disturbing look at what life would be like as a clone whose only purpose in life is to donate organs. The emotional, mental, and physical limitations this creates causes the reader to think about what else this could be a metaphor of. A serious book but very useful for education on equality and social norms. Teachers should be aware there are disturbing language images, and students should read the book together with close discussion sessions to ensure students are able to address the many questions that come from reading this book. A great resource for starting a class discussion on human rights and historical violations of these rights. The unique perspective provided by the author allows for more figurative language than western authors and gives the story a very different feel than it's movie counterpart.

The story of friends attending Hailsham where they are being raised as “carers” – which we later learn is what cloned children raised to provide organs and other transplants are called. Interesting treatment of the psychological environment of Kathy and Tommy who are friends throughout. ( )

The Short of It:

Hauntingly sad, poetic and beautiful.

The Rest of It:

*No obvious spoilers.

The story opens with Kathy H., who has been a “carer” for over eleven years. As she tells her story, the reader is taken back in time to her years at Hailsham, a boarding school located in the English countryside where she was friends with Tommy and Ruth. There, they took classes on all sorts of subjects and were told over and over again by their guardians, that they were special.

Yes, they are special. Very special indeed. What the reader figures out pretty early on, is that these children have a special purpose. However, the children do not know exactly what that purpose is. They just know that they are special, and during their time at Hailsham, they are given information to help them understand that purpose, but not in plain words. Not in a way that they would easily understand.

The school experience is like what you’d expect. There are cliques and teachers who test the administration with their actions. Although Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are very close friends, they have their moments, too. As they grow, they begin to realize their purpose and the dawning realization of what they are, creates tension in ways they are not often prepared to deal with.

This entire story is peppered with clinical aspects. Hailsham is very hospital-like and lab tests are the norm. Since these children really don’t know of a life different from their own, they are somewhat happy yet deep down, they yearn for something more. They just don’t know what.

In one sense, Ishiguro’s delivery is cold as ice. Everyone possesses an aloofness that is slightly off-putting. But, there is a tenderness…a softness to the characters that will make your heart ache. These characters yearn for what they don’t have, yet they have resigned themselves to the lives they’ve been given. They will never really love, because to do so, would mean losing it in the end. They can never have children, or get married or live to a ripe, old age. What they have, is the pleasure of knowing that they’ve lived their life for a purpose.

This book reminded me a lot of The Unit, which has the same premise but uses adults instead of children. In a lot of ways, this book was harder to swallow because it dealt with children, yet Ishiguro handles the topic expertly and I found myself thinking about these characters many days after finishing the book. Its coldness melted away and became profoundly touching.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter ( )

A disappointment. I never believed the alternative dystopia that Ishiguro creates for his 1970's England. By concentrating his focus on the children and their relationships within their own society the author has limited his narrative to such an extent that at 280 pages this book feels overblown. Good writing and expertly martialed facts cannot save this novel. ( )

Over the course of a year I've started this book a half dozen times only to put it down after a few chapters. I think it is because the rhythm of the writing feels stilted and awkward -- I could never really get into it. I had heard that it was a good book, so finally I just plowed through it.

Next I regretted reading too much of the plot summary; I think I would have enjoyed the book more if the mystery behind the purpose of the students at Hailsham was revealed through reading the story. Too late for that, I suppose.

In the end, I did enjoy the story and feel enriched for having read it. ( )

In an alternative post-World War II England, 3 friends attend boarding school where they are treated as “special” to the outside world.
SPOILERS: Through interminable remembered conversations and the tedious minutiae of life at school, the reader slowly begins to understand that the children at Hailsham school are being prepared for a strange destiny. Narrated by one of the three young people, Kathy H., their secrets are revealed: everyone at Hailsham is actually a clone bred to provide organs for donation to “real” people. When they can no longer donate, they die.

Although billed as science fiction, Never Let Me Go is closer to The Chrysalids by John Wyndham than to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The novel could be characterized as “alternative history with a message”, which is fine by me. But to draw the story out in a gossipy, excruciatingly detailed narrative…..! The type of narrative where an event occurs in 2 pages but Kathy H. thinking about it takes a full chapter! To be honest, I started skimming about a third of the way into the book and by the end, did I even care that they were clones destined to expire saving others? Not at all!

I think it was A.J. Casson, famous member of the Group of Seven painters, who said that when he was starting out in his career, he carefully copied each leaf ofthe tree into his painting. With more experience, he realized that he could get better results by “suggesting” the many leaves with fewer but more skillful strokes. Mr. Ishiguro painted every leaf and leaf bud with—in my opinion—unnecessary detail: I couldn’t see the tree for the leaves!

I’m thinking this one fares better in the movie version….

5 out of 10. ( )

A coming-of-age story set in the early 1970s in a world slightly different than ours about a tight group of three friends from their childhood to their adult life. The intimate story slowly unravels the unique relationship between these friends and the secret that binds them, while challenging your view on the idea of society making decisions based on what is seen as "for the better good.” A story to challenge your own views of our ethical treatment of other humans now and in the past. ( )

This is a story re-imaging the world after World War II, based in the English countryside. It tells the story of unique private school, where the students are entirely sheltered from the outside world with incredible emphasis placed on their specialness and maintenance of their well being. Once the children come of age, they are sent out for a period of time as carers, looking after peers who have begun a series of vital organ donations that will eventually lead to their death. It is the fate of all the private school students as they are clones bred specifically for that fate. The story progresses and unfolds through the eyes of three principle characters, friends and lovers, as they grow older. Kathy, Ruth and Tommy. Much of the book is based on recounting their life at the private school and the slow enlightenment of their purpose. Upon their graduation, Kathy goes about her carer job until one day she finds her patient to be Ruth. This opens the door to the past and more recollections. Kathy then finds herself with Tommy. Together they uncover the purpose of their school, lives and future. Written in a simple, restrained style, the text has the effect of being charming overall. It was a hard book to get into at first not only because the information presented in the beginning made no sense until the later chapters, but also because of the leisurely pace at which things moved. A nice twist on a common story line and halfway through, the book enters its stride. ( )

First of all, I want to thank Annette at http://annettesbookspot.blogspot.com/ for recommending this to me.

Never Let Me Go was an odd sort of dystopian themed novel, so subtle yet so emotionally intense. The story at first glance seemed like a pointlessly slow meandering through the main character, Kathy’s, childhood memories, but then there was also this almost malignant undercurrent of hinted at secrets and mysterious clues that alluded to something sinister that the guardians were hiding. It was downright eerie but oh so compelling. The end left me feeling thoughtful and thoroughly creeped out. I am always so fascinated by books that explore the darker aspects of human nature and this book is certainly one that exposes that. What is so brilliant about Never Let Me Go is that that “darkness” is only ever openly acknowledged and discussed at length close to the end, but it nonetheless casts a shadow over the entire tale. Throughout, there’s always this air of sadness and resignation.

Kathy grew up in a school surrounded by other “special” students where their guardians emphasized the importance of art and poetry and where sex was treated like such a matter of fact topic that the students felt encouraged to experiment with it. The odd thing about this school is that there is never any mention of parents and some of the guardians hint at a specific reason why these students considered special. It was understood within the story that Kathy and her friends were basically somewhat aware of why they were special and what they were born to accomplish, but it is never really talked about openly, merely alluded to, which just builds tension for the reader as they wait to discover if what they have pieced together is right and if so, why? The students had apparently been given general information about their future duties but none of this was explained to the reader until the very end. It’s such a subtle and compelling style of writing, I found myself feeling equally intrigued and frustrated by all of my unanswered questions.

Much of this story felt like I was piecing together bits and pieces of information to get to the truth. The main character, Kathy, narrated the story and she would often stray from whatever topic she started off talking about only to abruptly return to the original idea, like she got lost in thought and had to remind herself what she had been talking about. The book seemed to aimlessly wander from past to present as Kathy examined her memories of school and what came later. . The unusual flow of the writing worked for me though. I didn’t find it hard to follow at all, instead I found that it was a clever way to allow the reader to emotionally connect with the characters and view the world through their eyes. I also thought that the subtle writing style was so effective at creating this mysterious and haunting atmosphere wrapped within what seemed like an almost ordinary tale.

The main characters were fascinating and infinitely relatable. Kathy was pragmatic and compassionate but also had a weakness of character that caused her to allow herself to be almost bullied and walked over by her domineering best friend Ruth. There were several times when she showed some backbone but even then, she often was the first to back down and apologize. Ruth was a variation of “mean girl”, overbearing and deceitful, but with an added layer of depth that it is hard to pinpoint. I often found myself feeling sorry for her, even when she didn’t seem to deserve it. Tommy, Kathy’s friend and love interest was also a mix of contradictions. He was at times pathetic and at other times extremely perceptive and intuitive. I found the characters to be authentic and I was oddly drawn to them, listening to their story to piece together the bits and pieces that explained who they were. It was also so incredibly complex how these characters seemed to complacently accept their lot on the surface, but would at the same time look for ways to find meaning to their existence.

I can’t express how much I loved that the author told this story using Kathy’s voice and her rather pragmatic view of her world and which showcased this matter of fact acceptance of her place in this bleak reality. It was such a contrast to how repulsed I was by the horror of the situation that was alluded to and only much later explained. I wanted her to rage and scream and fight back but the only hint of rebellion was the sad attempt to put off the inevitable. There was such an emotional depth to the story, both in the characters interactions with one another and in the ways they came to grips what their purpose was. It left me pondering the implications long after I turned the final page.

The ending felt abrupt and was a bit of an info-dump, although it was simply a confirmation of what I was able to piece together. I was able to discover if my suspicions were correct and was given a little bit of an explanation about why these things were happening. All of the explanations, however, were still rather vague and incomplete, the story ended without me ever feeling like I really had a grasp of the situation. Oddly, I still felt like I was satisfied with the ending as it was. It kind of made sense that if Kathy were telling this story, she would focus on those details and memories that were so important to her instead of answering the questions that I had. As I said, it was an unusual book. I liked it and will probably read it again sometime to hopefully understand a little more. ( )

I saw the film "Never Let Me Go" a couple months ago and was really knocked out by it. An impossibly beautiful and impossibly sad film with some outstanding actors. I felt I needed to read the book. Already knowing the story from the film, the book did not have quite the impact I know it would have otherwise. This is the rare case where both a book and a film are great pieces. The story has been changed only slightly for the film - but the film has managed to really capture the essence of the novel. I'd say I prefer the story as told in the film just a little, but also enjoyed the parts of the book that didn't quite make it into the film.

The story is that of Kathy H. and two close friends from an english boarding school who have a very unusual future planned for them by society in this tale of an alternative England of the 20th century. Social dystopia at its finest. Recommended ( )

Preview...When I read “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro nearly one year ago, it only took me a matter of hours. This uniquely-crafted dystopian novel is intensely addictive and gets high marks both for entertainment value and for depth of meaning.Its simplistic manner of storytelling and focus on three friends growing up in a boarding school mixed with strong dystopian and sociological elements makes this story as meaningful as “Brave New World” and as entertaining as (dare-I-say-it?) the “Harry Potter” series.We follow the lives of three friends, Kathy H, Tommy and Ruth. Our narrator, Kathy H, recounts their experiences as former students of Hailsham boarding school and her current career as a carer. The story starts out simple enough, classic to the young adult genre of fiction. Quickly the reader will notice that something is off just a bit with this school and these students. Little by little, we learn more of the shocking truth and the hopeless future of all at Hailsham.I could go on and on about the social implications of this story, but that would ruin the best part of this novel — the suspense, the urgent desire to know this world’s secret, to uncover how it can be so like our own yet so eerily different. Just trust me on this one, “Never Let Me Go” is fascinating and well worth reading, no matter what your literary inclinations.You may like this book if… you enjoy the young adult, science fiction or dystopian genres, you like a story that draws you in and forces you to finish it as quickly as possible, you like an unpredictable plotline, you enjoy mulling over sociological issues and the potential outcomes of technological advances, you like a story that is told directly and endearingly, you like to relate to your characters, no matter how different you are from them, you grew up in a boarding school or are a teacher or a nurse, you’ve ever been involved in a love triangleYou may not like this book if… it pains you to follow likable characters through such a painful existence, you cannot cope with social complacency, you prefer your books to use bigger words and more sophisticated writing techniques, you think that the future described by Kazuo Ishiguro is shockingly likely and that thought scares the living daylights out of you (but you’d have to read it to find that out, now wouldn’t you?) ( )