Never Let Me Go

This novel arose a lot of mixed feelings in me. The tale starts out as a sweet story of a bunch of kids in some kind of a boarding school, but the reality of their lives becomes increasingly harrowing and dreadful with each page. The protagonists were described in great detail, the pictures of their personalities painted very real. I could not help myself rooting for them, but at the same time l kept wondering why none of them ever tried to rebel against such a reality. It felt almost painful to keep reading about these kids bowing to their fates with such devotion and acceptance.

I like the writing style of Kazuo Ishiguro. I have previously read his The Remains of the Day. Both of these books have a troubling aspect to them and both cause the reader to question reality-fictional in case of this book. Never Let Me Go-despite being a work of fiction-felt so realistic that it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. How can such a world exist?

I was totally and completely spoiled about this book (stupid movie previews), but that didn't prevent it from being one of the best books I've ever read.

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about the narrative voice. Kath, the narrator, relays her story in a roughly chronological order, with many tangents and anecdotes. But over time, it builds on itself and becomes the poignant reflections of someone who is facing her own mortality and has also lost everyone and every place that meant anything to her living through her memories. There are several times that Kath reflects on situations that, despite the sadness or finality, took on a closeness and levity that is only possible in the types of friendships where you can simply have wandering conversations about anything. It is clear that Kath is speaking to a reader who is that kind of friend.

The larger plot is fascinating – Ishiguro has several things to say about mortality, what we are willing to compromise (ethically) to further ourselves, the difference between faith and curiousity, and what it means to be a person and to be a part of the human condition. That, in and of itself was worth reading, but the book truly shines by being about a sincere depiction of one woman's life and personality within this larger world. You end up caring at least as much about Kath, Ruth and Tommy and their arguments, cassette tapes and classes as the big picture.

It is on the relationship level that Ishiguro shines. The friendships are intricate, completely necessary for the characters and extremely complex. Each character has their own flaws and deals (and doesn't deal) with them in various ways as they come of age.

It took me a bit to get into this book, but I'm really glad I gave it some time, because I'm really enjoying it. There is a slight, slight, slight creepy sci-fi back story, which I won't go into, that was surprising, but mostly this is an interesting personal fictional account of looking back at one's younger and adolescent years, and what growing up sometimes means: Seeing things more clearly. Thirty pages in I wasn't sure I'd finish it. Now, with 50 to go, I don't want it to end!
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Lived up to my expectations, though the so-called “twist” ending...wasn't twisty to me. It was still a satisfying ending, and I think I'll go read some more of this guy's books...