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A review by crloken
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5.0
Never Let Me Go is a beautifully written book told from the perspective of Kathy H., a young woman looking back on her days in a strange english boarding school. Even early on this school seems very odd, the guardians (not teachers) emphasize health, and art, and don't seem to think life skills of any sort are needed. The truth about the school (which is revealed fairly early on) is that they are all clones bred with the sole purpose of having their organs harvested some day.
I find this a hard book to express my opinion towards because there are so many things I want to say and yet I am having a lot of trouble expressing it in words. This is a story about growing up and coming of age, in a world where none of the children will ever get to be adults. Its a love story with impending death hanging over everything. Its also a metaphor for our lives. None of us get more than a life time and we are all slowly progressing toward death. There are little bits of hope and the impending question of what happens after, do we get a release or more torment? But in the end it is the same and we will all die, and so we find some kind of identity and life while we can.
The three central characters (Tommy, Kathy, and Ruth) were all well written and seemed real. In many ways it was Ruth I felt most sorry for in the end, Tommy and Kathy always had each other even though Tommy was dating Ruth for most of the book. But Ruth always seemed alone, and maybe that's why she imitated people around her so much. She didn't want to be as alone as she knew she was, she just wanted someone to care about her. Tommy had in many ways the warmest heart of the three and I think that was the reason for his temper, he could never handle the injustice of this world they lived in. And Kathy always seems to just accept these things as they come. She doesn't want to die but does not seem to think theres any use complaining.
The truth is that none of them really complain about it. They accept their fate and even sometimes seem to think it is good. Kathy is annoyed by the suggestions of conspiracies or that anything even more horrible is going on, since she does not think this is wrong precisely. I think there could be many explanations for this, maybe they've been altered somehow during the cloning process to not want to rebel, or maybe they've been brainwashed. But the real reason is the metaphor, we often just accept our situations in life. We do not fight them, or attempt to change them, and the most we do is gripe. Life is what it is and it would be futile to run, or alter it.
Never Let Me Go is a story about people trying to live their lives while very aware that very soon they will die. Its also about a world that is becoming colder, and crueller, and harsher, and leaving behind those truly important things like love, and compassion, and small quiet moments. I have more to say but I guess this will do for now. I would highly recommend this book, yet with the warning that this is not a happy read. Never Let Me Go is gorgeous, romantic, profound, thought provoking, and very depressing.
I find this a hard book to express my opinion towards because there are so many things I want to say and yet I am having a lot of trouble expressing it in words. This is a story about growing up and coming of age, in a world where none of the children will ever get to be adults. Its a love story with impending death hanging over everything. Its also a metaphor for our lives. None of us get more than a life time and we are all slowly progressing toward death. There are little bits of hope and the impending question of what happens after, do we get a release or more torment? But in the end it is the same and we will all die, and so we find some kind of identity and life while we can.
The three central characters (Tommy, Kathy, and Ruth) were all well written and seemed real. In many ways it was Ruth I felt most sorry for in the end, Tommy and Kathy always had each other even though Tommy was dating Ruth for most of the book. But Ruth always seemed alone, and maybe that's why she imitated people around her so much. She didn't want to be as alone as she knew she was, she just wanted someone to care about her. Tommy had in many ways the warmest heart of the three and I think that was the reason for his temper, he could never handle the injustice of this world they lived in. And Kathy always seems to just accept these things as they come. She doesn't want to die but does not seem to think theres any use complaining.
The truth is that none of them really complain about it. They accept their fate and even sometimes seem to think it is good. Kathy is annoyed by the suggestions of conspiracies or that anything even more horrible is going on, since she does not think this is wrong precisely. I think there could be many explanations for this, maybe they've been altered somehow during the cloning process to not want to rebel, or maybe they've been brainwashed. But the real reason is the metaphor, we often just accept our situations in life. We do not fight them, or attempt to change them, and the most we do is gripe. Life is what it is and it would be futile to run, or alter it.
Never Let Me Go is a story about people trying to live their lives while very aware that very soon they will die. Its also about a world that is becoming colder, and crueller, and harsher, and leaving behind those truly important things like love, and compassion, and small quiet moments. I have more to say but I guess this will do for now. I would highly recommend this book, yet with the warning that this is not a happy read. Never Let Me Go is gorgeous, romantic, profound, thought provoking, and very depressing.