Never Let Me Go

I went into this novel after already having watched the movie about 2 years ago. I thought that because of this I wouldn't enjoy it as much, considering I knew the entire plot and ending but I was pleasantly surprised .
This book follows a first person narrative, the narrator being a woman named Kathy H. Without spoiling too much, I'll say that the book is about Kathy and her memories of her life through childhood in a suspicious boarding school called Hailsham to her adult years and we learn about her relationship with her two friends Ruth and Tommy. I know that says hardly anything about the plot of the book but it's almost impossible to say anything about the book without spoiling it. Some people categorize it under the genre science fiction but if you're going into it solely for the scifi aspect you will be majorly disappointed. This is more literary fiction and it's definitely more character driven than plot driven.
I loved this book so so much! The characters were so real to me and so fleshed out; all of them had their flaws and I could see them as real people that I could meet in real life. Kazuo Ishiguro has such a beautiful writing style. Throughout the whole book, you can feel an air of sadness and nostalgia just through reading his words. Ishiguro is not scared to delve into some dark topics in this text like the imminence of death and how little time we have on this earth. But he does it so well, this is definitely a book that will make you think for days after reading it. I would recommend it to anyone who is into literary fiction and enjoys strong character driven novels.
5/5

All my reviews can be found at The Tiny Reader's Reference! Come on over and say hello!Short & Sweet: [b:Never Let Me Go 6334 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353048590s/6334.jpg 1499998] is a novel of many facets, all of which will inspire discussion between whomever may read it. Where it lacks in action and engagement, it makes up for in emotion, all the way up to its heartbreaking end. This is not a happy book. I originally planned, while sketching out this review in my mind, to sit down and state plainly that [b:Never Let Me Go 6334 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353048590s/6334.jpg 1499998] is weird. “How it won awards is beyond my understanding” and “I didn't quite know what the heck I was reading half the time”.But as I mulled it over, I realized my flaw was going into this novel with expectations. I expected a traditional novel structure. I expected overt action. I expected a ‘movement' based story that engaged me from page 1. [b:Never Let Me Go 6334 Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1353048590s/6334.jpg 1499998] is none of these, and it doesn't pretend to be, either. The beauty in this story is not action, or movement, or the way the story is presented to you. It is in the subtleties, the mundane over darkness, a normal veneer over something sinister.In replacement of action, we get trickle truth to keep us reading - just enough information for our ‘this is weird' sensors to perk up a little bit, to metaphorically smell a rot under a beautiful bouquet of flowers. And you keep reading for snatches of information, while a small voice in the back of your mind is saying, what the hell is going on here? Even after the answers are given and the book closes on the last page, so many questions are left unanswered. The writing itself is very basic and conversational. I wrote in my notes that it is “very much a ‘hanging out with a childhood friend and reminiscing about old times' type of story”, and I still stick by that. In fact, that is the whole setup, where we meet Kathy, a ‘Carer', who is taking care of her childhood friend, Ruth. They wile away the days talking about their time at Hailsham, and we are teleported into Kathy's memories.Is this novel engaging? Not in the slightest. I can put this book down and it'll drift to the far back of my mind - it doesn't stand out in that regard. A lot of other reviewers have struggled to finish it, or rated it poorly - those reviews are absolutely valid. But if you're looking for a very quick story that is not among the norm, something different, pick this up. Just make sure to also leave your expectations at the door.

Oh man. I don't know if this was the intention but Ishiguro really made me feel for these special specimens. (Are they even human? Who knows? What defines a human anyways??) Honestly, when I first read this book I thought it started out kind of slow and aimless. There were numerous anecdotes about Tommy and Ruth and their various guardians, but nothing about the gigantic elephant in the room. The main thing however was how this book touched upon a lot of prejudice towards the victims from the supposed saviors themselves. Though Miss Emily and Madame were avid supporters and “guardians” of these children, they themselves had been appalled by them. This shows a lot of the extent of altruism some people are willing to give.
They also thought of themselves as saviors because they tried. They tried so so very hard. But it didn't matter because nothing was solved. They got a good education and lifestyle and that was it; they still became donors and carers.
It frustrated me so much that they couldn't get their own life back and that everything they believed in was either a lie or filled with false hope. Tommy and Kath had been meant for each other but Ruth was determined to stop that from ever happening. Tommy and Ruth never had closure and that foretold Tommy's and Kath's lack of closure.
Everything in this book sucked but it was amazing at the same time.
Amazing. Af.

I liked this book well enough as just a story about relationships/popularity/self-confidence growing up and nearing the end of it kept thinking how it was a little strange that the author chose to backdrop this relatively normal high-school-to-adolesence tale with this strange clone organ donor idea.

So when the reveal comes near the end, it really hit me that the whole point was that it was just a normal story. One of the best realizations I've experienced in a book in a long time.

Wow, that was bleak. It took a while to get going, and I found the narrator pretty irritating. But the ending was even more depressing than I even thought it would be, given the grimness of the premise, and for that I am impressed.

Ishiguro has shot up the list of my favorite authors. He is three for three so far with me.

As with his other works, this one is best read cold. I read this because it is his “sci-fi”, but as with The Buried Giant's fantasy setting, it's hardly even a backdrop. I could tell you about the premise but it unfolds so masterfully that there's no way I'd want to ruin it for you. The problem with a lot of science fiction is that it tends to be judged on its premise. I've definitely seen other stories with similar premises to this one, but Ishiguro's characters are so excruciatingly human that you've never read a book like this. At this rate I'd recommend any of his works to anybody. He's incredible.

This was definitely not what I was expecting... The writing was beautiful, but I've been left with so many unanswered questions... It's been more frustrating than anything else.

something is missing

pretty pointless.

people will do perverse things in an effort to make things better, this is how we are flawed as a race, better live your life when you feel like living it, blah blah blah.

whatever, Kazuo.

This book was vile. The very thought of something like this happening in our world made me sick, but maybe that was the point, to create a story that was morally and ethically wrong. I could not become emotionally involved with the characters because Kathy spoke in a way that was distant and nearly devoid of emotion. There was next to no background story and I was left with many questions a the end. I wish there had been more depth to the world surrounding these characters and explanations as to why certain events happened. Characters only hinted at knowing the truth half the time I don't even think what they believed was true.

Heartbroken.

This book made me want to cry but infuriated me so much that I literally couldn't cry. This is a good story, but I can't deny that it is a hopeless story. I wanted to reach inside of this book and yank the characters right out of it, that's how much I felt for them.

I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't want to throw up for probably the last 200 pages. I was impressed that none of the closure I wanted was given to me–it's like falling and falling and never having the impact you've been desperately waiting for.

Truly touching and amazing book. I usually hate the novels that I have to read for school but this one was spectacular. It also raises the question: will we ever be accepting of clones in the future?

I kept comparing it to the film adaptation and strangely, I think I liked the adaptation better. It felt more emotional. And that's sort of the point of the story, to show human emotions of the characters, isn't it?

This was not just a science fiction, it was a cry, a cry for help, a cry for acknowledgement. It is undoubtedly, one of the best books I have ever read in my entire lifetime so far.

The only truly great book I've read all summer. I seriously loved it, and not just in the can't-put-it-down way. I couldn't stop thinking about it for days and I also rented the movie and watched it immediately upon obtaining it. (The movie is naturally inferior to the book, but it was still good. Doesn't hurt that my new celeb crush, Andrew Garfield, is in it.)

I don't feel I can properly review this book. Ishiguro keeps the reader in the dark and assumes you know things you have no way of knowing. It kept me unsteady, but constantly needing more.

Maybe I'll write a better review later. Read it.

A beautifully woven story. The writing style feels as natural as a conversation, and I really started reading it as soon as I got it in the mail and didn't ever want to put it down.Ishiguro captures perfectly the confusing and sometimes cruel world of childhood and adolescence, when everything that happens seems to hint at larger mysteries. (And yes, it so happens that those mysteries really exist, but I was surprised how much this evoked memories of my own youth – I remembered having theories about conspiracies, even going so far as to keep a sort of dossier at some point. And the tumultuous relationships – the fighting-and-making-up, the things-left-unsaid, the symbolic actions – all the unintentional cruelty borne of not really understanding our own emotions, let alone anyone else's – it just captured those feelings so well. All the pressures and half-understood anxieties about growing up. Somehow, in that sense it reminded me of books like [b:Julie of the Wolves 386286 Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves, #1) Jean Craighead George http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174355792s/386286.jpg 778444] or [b:Bridge to Terabithia 2839 Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327880087s/2839.jpg 2237401].)It's rare to come across something that captures so perfectly the feeling of that time of life, when you understand only a small amount about the world, when everything seems to take on vast meaning. And though it's very common in real life, it's rare to find characters in novels doing things for reasons they themselves barely understand.Friends described it as heartbreaking, but – maybe because of the memories it brought up for me – I just thought it was beautifully nostalgic. Sad, yes, but the ending somehow feels right, like it's following through on exactly what it promised. The style reminds me a little of [a:Haruki Murakami 3354 Haruki Murakami http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1285812707p2/3354.jpg]; maybe something in the straightforward, unpretentious tone, or the detailed descriptions of rather ordinary events that all add up to a world just slightly stranger than the one we live in.I should say that I read enough scifi that I didn't find the premise especially shocking or unexpected. I do love stories that use science fiction concepts as an excuse for philosophizing about what makes us human. (This one bears some thematic similarity to Blade Runner, now that I think about it.)

Очень грустная книга о клонах. Проблема книги именно в том, что её основная идея и есть самое интересное. Сам же слог и повествование показались несколько затянутыми. Поэтому, если вы посмотрите потрясающий фильм, снятый по книге (ещё до начала её продаж), то нисколько не потеряете от того, что не стали читать книгу, а решили посмотреть фильм.

Наиболее интересной представляется концовка произведения, потому что в ней читатель получает ответы на многие, хотя и не все, вопросы и именно там нагнетается драма. В процессе чтения сложно принять одиночество клонов и несправедливость жизни и общества к ним и только под конец ты это ощущаешь. Поэтому, кажется, что прочитав книгу, нужно вернуться в начало и имея уже те знания и эмоции, которые ты получил в конце, с новым взглядом перечитать её, что не есть гуд. В фильме же нужный настрой задается сразу и к концу из тебя вытекает шесть литров слёз. Это, как мне кажется, более правильный подход.

Beautiful, multi-layered and sad. Amazing piece of work. Glad to have finally taken the time to read it.

A word of advice - just read it. Don't watch the movie. Tried watching the movie after just finishing the book and it felt like ... pudding skin. Just a thin layer sitting on top of something much more satisfying underneath.

Ruth sucks.

One of the creepiest books I've ever read. Stunning use of “in-cluing,” ever so slowly letting you know, bit by bit, what a strange alternate world you are visiting. Makes me shiver still, just thinking about it.

The concept is interesting, and I generally like sci-fi/dystopian futuristic book, but this one was not for me. Primarily, the storyteller and her style is too all over the place and never enough to the point. I had to fight to finish the book, and the ending wasn't much of a payoff. Happy reading.

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.

Never Let Me Go is a simple read, but it is not a simple book. It is about, and from the perspective of, children who through the course of the novel grow into young adults. And therein lies its simplicity: Ishiguro treats these characters as they should be treated–their focus is on popularity, sex, pranks, and the like. Yet throughout the novel, there is a feeling that something darker lies beneath the surface. Who, or perhaps what, these characters are is never hidden; there is not a twist which reveals the truth. It settles in slowly from page one and makes complete sense by the end. But by the end, the complexity has set in. These characters who had seemed so normal were exactly that. And the reality of their fate drops like a hammer on the skull of a lab rat.

This is one of those books which seemed good while I was reading it. I felt interested in the characters' stories, but never really felt entirely connected to them. But as I met those last few pages, I noticed my heart began to speed up and my eyes grew teary. Finally, I began to care. Never Let Me Go is a book which may seem inconsequential at first–an easy read with little backbone–but its resonance lasts long after the final page.

The great thing about the upcoming movie adaptation is that I know Keira Knightly should be fantastic as Ruth, and if you've read the book you know exactly what I mean.

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!
——————
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...

Another book that I had looked forward to reading and ended up disappointed