Never Let Me Go

This is a surprisingly moving novel, and while I can’t remember why I put it on “the List” but I am glad I did.

Before you start reading, Ishiguro states that his story is set in England in the late 1990s, although this is a very different 1990s than we know.

The narrator is Kathy, who spends a large portion of the book sifting through her memories of her time at Hailsham, what appears to be a selective private school in the English countryside. Like real memories, Kathy’s narrative is disjointed, as she jumps from memory to memory, each linking to another as she attempts to come to terms with the mystery of her existence. While this sounds confusing, it simply adds to the interest of the reader. Who are these children? Why are they so special? Why must they look after their health more than others? Why can they not have children? Why must the produce artwork pieces, that reveal their soul? Why are there no mention of parents, only the “guardians” that walk Hailsham’s corridors? And what are “donations”, anyway?

This could fall easily into the category of science fiction, but it is subtle and beautiful and far more character driven than something like The Island. The relationship between Kathy and her friends Tommy and Ruth is a true portrait of the complexity of human relationships, which is ironic when one comes to understand the story that is being told here. While it is no great secret and you will work it out long before Kathy does – it doesn’t matter. The nature of the search is part of the answer to the mystery. Humanity is real and unshakeable, and no-one can take that away from you.

It’s a must-read, I devoured it.