Major spoilers below. I promise you, if you have not read this book you do NOT want it spoiled.
I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I think this might be the most devastating book I have ever had the pleasure to read. If you have read this, please join in the discussion!
I had no idea what to expect going into this book. I randomly picked it up at the bookstore since I was a fan of Remains of the Day, his earlier novel. But in my opinion, this book is superior. It is the closest thing to a Black Mirror episode that I have ever found in my literary journey.
First of all, this book just has a melancholy dreamy vibe, perhaps because the entire story is a collection of memories. From the very beginning you know that something is not quite right with Hailsham. There is an aura of mystery that hangs over everything. The decision to drop the hammer and inform the read what is going on here was done brilliantly, by dropping little bits of information at a time. I let out so many audible gasps, probably more so than any other book.
I love a story that prompts my mind to contemplate the deepest questions of life, and this book delivers that in droves. It makes you seriously think about the moral implications of the progress we make scientifically. All these characters are living, breathing human beings with a rich inner life. The fact that they exist simply to be harvested for their organs is cruel and unjust. I have to admit wondering from time to time, why can’t they run away? Why can’t they get off the grid and avoid their fate? But the book doesn’t address that possibility unless I missed it somewhere.
I am trying to find something hopeful in this novel but really it is just depressing. The characters are all so accepting of their fate that it is creepy. In the best way.
This will be bouncing around my mind for a long time, I can tell. If you have read this book, please share with me your thoughts. I would love to hear them. Thanks for reading!
by omnamahshivaya222
26 Comments
I didn’t love reading this book. But it did confront a lot of uncomfortable topics. The part that hurt me the most was that these characters don’t dream. They weren’t ever told they could. I find a lot of these novels turn to fantasy to keep the human spirit alive. But they did not have any fantasy or human spirit. Maybe that is because they were trained to accept their fate. Idk I do not like thinking about this novel so I’m not sure why I am compelled to write about it now.
I enjoyed it, it felt cohesive with his other books. It made going to Norwich part of my goals lol. Sad but great evocative characters.
Promised Neverland but a book?
This is the 2nd thread on this book today.
This was the first Ishiguro novel I read, and I agree that it was very uncomfortable to read, while being so good at the same time. But then I read a few of his other books, and they’re all so good. *The Unconsoled* is particularly memorable, but in a strange way. Each of books essentially explores the same idea of beginning from a place where the main characters do not fully understand or appreciate the nature of the reality in which they exist. He has become perhaps my favorite author.
Personally I was a little disappointed with it. The way you’re talking about it is why tbh
The praise the book gets on here is insane so I went into it with no idea what it was about and with high expectations
It was a good book. It was a solid read don’t get me wrong but I wasn’t blown away by any of it.
When I see people talk about it they talk like there was some big reveal at the end about what was happening at Hailstrom but it didn’t seem like much of a reveal and it happened very early in the book from my experience reading it. The only mystery was what they used the Art for but even that was pretty mellow of a conclusion.
Idk. Wasn’t super impressed with it
Should I read it even if I know the twist because of the movie? 🥲
The creeping dread in this book is some of the best I’ve ever read, and the fact the horror is relatively quiet once it’s revealed only makes it that much more devastating.
Ishiguro is a top 3 author for me and it’s all down to his emotional intelligence as an author. The Remains of the Day is my favorite but this is a close second.
I was expecting so much from this book… but it’s dull. The characters were all rather unlikeable, and I was bored the whole time, and just waiting for the end, even though I didn’t actually care what happened at the end. It’s not a clever book, or interesting, or exciting, shocking, funny or sad. It’s just dull.
Now read The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
One of my favourite books! I’ll re-read it every couple of years. I shed a tear every time.
It’s definitely a vibe like no other
I haven’t read the book yet, only watched the movie. It left a profound impression on me. I can’t say I enjoyed it, and may never watch it again, but it really is a masterpiece. Unforgettable.
I love reading threads about how people love thus book, and got so much out of it. It really shows how different folks are and how subjective art is.
I loathed this book; I was bored to tears and only finished because a friend raved about it.
To each their own 🙂
Just posting to warn people about this book. It has very dark themes and legitimately messed with me. The book i wish i had never read.
It’s okay, but overrated. The bad genetics kinda ruined it for me.
It reminded me of that movie, The Island, except none of the characters had a will to be anything more than organ donors. I also thought harvesting one organ at a time was incredibly inefficient. You’re right that it dealt with some interesting/important questions, but nothing about it felt real or possible to me.
Science Fiction often has a poignant moral, and it’s a great medium for that, but the moral can’t be the whole point.
I thought Ishiguro’s book Klara and the Sun was much subtler and a much better read overall.
I’m reading this book now. Tried to read it a while ago and couldn’t get into it, but I’m trying again.
I have to admit wondering from time to time, why can’t they run away? Why can’t they get off the grid and avoid their fate? But the book doesn’t address that possibility unless I missed it somewhere.
That is literally what the book is about. Like all of his work this is a story about the fragility of the human experience of reality. Everyone is so caught up about proving that the clones have souls through artistic expression that this doesn’t occur to them as a possibility. All of his works are about the strange little stories we make up in our own heads that misinform our world view. Technically his books are different genres with different stories but it’s literally the same book again and again (and masterfully done every single time).
I would suggest reading Klara and the Sun next.
Make sure to check out the movie as well. It’s really well done.
Man is this book suddenly popular today, and I’m loving the discussions. I can see why it’s so unpopular with a certain segment of readers, but I do have a minor nitpick with the common criticism of there being no ‘twist’. Since when did every piece of literature need to have a ‘twist’ shoehorned in?
The beauty of Never Let Me Go lies in the reader gradually putting the pieces together. It’s not a thriller, not a hard sci-fi dystopian saga, and definitely not an adventure story. It is an alternate universe, but not an unrecognizable one.
You mention that you couldn’t figure out why the students at Hailsham cannot escape. Why will they? It’s never been hidden from them what they are, and even the protagonists’ earliest recollections show that they know that Hailsham is the best their lot can expect in the world. I don’t remember the book word to word, but I do think it is mentioned that there are other institutions for people like them, but they are all nightmares.
It is quite clear that they have some dreams of ‘after Havisham’, similar to rose-coloured dreams of all children. The ‘real’ world harshly interjects once they ‘graduate’. The story probably resonates more with readers who have personal experience with being considered ‘second-class citizens’, or on a personal level, afterthoughts in their own lives.
It is not at ALL implausible that in a world where human cloning is a viable process, the clones would be considered ‘other’. Don’t tell me that the parallels between this and the historical treatment of human groups over centuries, across countries and borders isn’t apparent. Traditional sci-fi has always favored a rise of the machines approach, but I found the alternative posited by Ishiguro much more heartbreakingly believable.
In the end, no, Never Let Me Go is not a HAPPY novel. You don’t feel a sense of righteous satisfaction at the end of it. You don’t put it down and go ‘Wooh what a ride!’ You ponder the implications of being bound the weight of a prescribed duty, and a society too big for you to fight alone. And if you’ve lost enough in life and are an immersive visual reader, you wonder what your personal Norfolk will show you.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. I adored it.
I love how couple posts below a different OP qas struggling to connect to this exact book. Really shows how taste varies and how important it really is to make your own opinion by reading it.
This book took me completely by surprise when I read it last year. It’s a masterpiece of subtlety.
“I have to admit wondering from time to time, why can’t they run away? Why can’t they get off the grid and avoid their fate? But the book doesn’t address that possibility unless I missed it somewhere.”
After finishing the book, I also reflected on that point. I have this theory where maybe the one thing that kind of proves that these characters aren’t really “human” is their lack of self-preservation. All the characters seem passive and accepting of their fate. But who knows I might have missed something as well.
Thank you for this post. This is one of my favourite books of all time. I remember being up all night just staring at the ceiling in a daze after I finished it. Left me feeling dazed.