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A review by wellfedpages
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Never Let Me Go or Let Tommy Go And Live Your Life Girl
How do you know you are real?
What makes someone human?
What is humanity?
Consciousness?
Soul?
If you can raise animals to slaughter, why not humans?
If not to slaughter, to use in other ways
Where is the line?
Dystopias just take reality one step further
A step we are heading towards
Perhaps a step we have already half taken
Like here
But what has that got to do with Tommy?
Well other than exploring the above dilemmas, it also shows how an unreliable narrator leads to a tinted truth
SPOILERS
We only see things through Kathy's eyes
Tommy is the good guy, even though he seeks constant validation
Ruth is the villain, because she does not care about his ego
But is that the truth?
Ruth does many careless & hurtful things
But Kathy is mean to Ruth too
So is Tommy and he hurts Ruth in his own way
But we never hear from Ruth
Or Tommy for that matter
Kathy is clearly in love with Tommy and feels Ruth came between them
Ruth admits this eventually, tries to undo the harm
But Tommy says nothing
Nobody forces someone to be with another person
Even if Ruth did come between them, why did Tommy choose to be with her? Twice
Because she is more attractive?
Or because he felt something for her?
Why does Tommy only choose Kathy after Ruth is almost dying?
And even then why are certain things amiss in their relationship?
Are they simply beaten down by life?
Or is he not attracted to her in the same way?
Does he still feel something for Ruth?
Is it guilt?
Does he choose Kathy because there is no future with Ruth?
Is Kathy his ticket to a few more years?
Does he like Kathy more because she validates him?
Or does he just like the validation and not Kathy at all?
Does he hate Ruth because she does not validate him?
Or does he hate himself because he doesn't know what he wants?
Is he just a selfish piece of shit, or is it more complicated than that?
Isn't he really the person who came between Kathy and Ruth?
Is Ruth a better person because she ultimately chooses her friend?
Or is it too little too late?
The mess that they make of their lives is what makes them human
Kazuo Ishiguro simply raises the questions
The answers are all ours
How do you know you are real?
What makes someone human?
What is humanity?
Consciousness?
Soul?
If you can raise animals to slaughter, why not humans?
If not to slaughter, to use in other ways
Where is the line?
Dystopias just take reality one step further
A step we are heading towards
Perhaps a step we have already half taken
Like here
But what has that got to do with Tommy?
Well other than exploring the above dilemmas, it also shows how an unreliable narrator leads to a tinted truth
SPOILERS
We only see things through Kathy's eyes
Tommy is the good guy, even though he seeks constant validation
Ruth is the villain, because she does not care about his ego
But is that the truth?
Ruth does many careless & hurtful things
But Kathy is mean to Ruth too
So is Tommy and he hurts Ruth in his own way
But we never hear from Ruth
Or Tommy for that matter
Kathy is clearly in love with Tommy and feels Ruth came between them
Ruth admits this eventually, tries to undo the harm
But Tommy says nothing
Nobody forces someone to be with another person
Even if Ruth did come between them, why did Tommy choose to be with her? Twice
Because she is more attractive?
Or because he felt something for her?
Why does Tommy only choose Kathy after Ruth is almost dying?
And even then why are certain things amiss in their relationship?
Are they simply beaten down by life?
Or is he not attracted to her in the same way?
Does he still feel something for Ruth?
Is it guilt?
Does he choose Kathy because there is no future with Ruth?
Is Kathy his ticket to a few more years?
Does he like Kathy more because she validates him?
Or does he just like the validation and not Kathy at all?
Does he hate Ruth because she does not validate him?
Or does he hate himself because he doesn't know what he wants?
Is he just a selfish piece of shit, or is it more complicated than that?
Isn't he really the person who came between Kathy and Ruth?
Is Ruth a better person because she ultimately chooses her friend?
Or is it too little too late?
The mess that they make of their lives is what makes them human
Kazuo Ishiguro simply raises the questions
The answers are all ours
We are left wondering about these flawed characters.
The book beautifully captures how humanity is a murky construct,
how we are all just tiny driftwoods clinging to each other in the endless stream of time,
and how female friendships are incredibly fragile, especially when a man comes between them.
Sadly, the women here do not put their friendship first and dump him, that is a feminist approach I'm still waiting to see in stories like this
But perhaps women in real life rarely do that, and Ishiguro simply shows us the mirror
Even if the shell of their friendship remains, it's hollowed out by time
Perhaps that is closer to truth
Maybe there are a few Ruth's in the end
But that is the problem, it's almost always in the end
Started this for Dystopian December but completed this in Jan
Did I like it?
Of course
Confused people and complicated relationships are great, on paper
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship