Reviews

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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emeraldgarnet's review against another edition

5.0

Being honest, I had already seen the film version of this book so I was aware of most of the plot prior to reading it.

Ishiguro writes in an easy style.

Never Let Me Go shows an alternate universe that is at once easy to recognise yet has an 'unthinkable' set up (i.e. the three main characters' very reason for existence). Once you start reading this book you begin to question how our own universe would behave if such a technology were invented. Would we behave like the universe in Never Let Me Go, would we treat the donors differently (better? worse?) or would we invent the technology but then decide not to use it?

sarahanne0317's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

sulabooknerd's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sneha_sharma's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

dreaming_ace's review against another edition

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2.0

This is a story of nothing or maybe a story about nothing. A story which is like taking a long walk on a cold and drizzly day, it never actually rains but you still get soaked through. There are allusions to the dark side of systems and organizations but instead of a call to revolution or Love or any sort of change, you leave with the feeling that systems can't be changed and life is gray depressing and then you die.

There is no real plot, just the mundane day to day of some kids growing up. There is very little character development and almost no real action. There are no real mysteries of substance, the key points about the situation made clear towards the very beginning.

It felt like we are told the butler did it and so when the characters spend long periods going I wonder who did it, now I see, or maybe I am reading it wrong, it feels pointless because you already know who did it and finding out, in the end, the butler did it wearing blue you go so what?

But for all of this, it was a page-turner, and I did not, not enjoy it but I got to the end and went well that makes me feel bleak and hopeless about life.