Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Never Let Me Go
Book Review: I let it go in the Atlanta airport . .
Summary: 1 Stars
. . it might still be there if you want it. I didn't want to keep it, and -- ask any visitor -- I don't get rid of many books. I slogged through it on a 7-week business trip when I was so tired at night I could read only a few pages. Painfully slow and dreary (even for a fan of dystopian novels), soporific, with unsympathetic characters and the worst, most maddening schoolmate ever. Don't be tempted if you loved "Remains of the Day."
The only other book I ever hated so much yet plowed through was "The Far Pavilions."
Book Review: Brilliant exposition
Summary: 4 Stars
I was genuinely intrigued by Ishiguro's strength of narrative technique insofar as his exposition was masterful. He lets the story unfold like a blossoming rose told from the point-of-view of a caregiver living among human clones created to provide body parts for normal humans. The narrative was so gentle and simple that ultimately there's great power evident here in the story telling. I think it's quite possible that some reviewers have gone a bit overboard in their praise of this writer. But the understatement of the narrative style did definitely impress me as a sign of great maturity and skill by the author of The Remains of the Day. This is a dark and sad and disturbing novel, which is a trademark of Booker Award winners and finalists. But there is no denying the talent of Ishiguro in the quiet prowess of his story-telling. Book Review: A strange, moving little book
Summary: 4 Stars
It's tough to describe this novel without giving too much away. Just like the author seems to find it enjoyable to spend the first third of the book teasing us with hints about the lives of a group of teenagers at a boarding school called Hailsham. They seem like normal teens, except no one talks about their parents or home life, or what came before Hailsham. No one. Never. And no one knows what faces them after they leave the school. And then Ishiguro finally lays it out for us. It was kind of like what I suspected, I think, but it was enough of a surprise to make me want to follow their lives to the fast approaching conclusion. They do have a purpose to their lives, but it's a tough, heart-wrencing one. One of the characters, Ruth, states emphatically that they are all modeled on trash: junkies, prostitutes, winos, and tramps. And she and her friends Tommy and Kath try to get some answers for themselves. But then, after Hailsham they are divided into two separate categories with very pre-determined outcomes. But, that would be telling. Read it for yourself. I believe it will be a rewarding experience. And maybe a precursor of what is ahead for the human race. Book Review: Interesting and good
Summary: 3 Stars
A good, interesting book. I won't mention it here, but I found out about the "secret" before I read it
There were some parts of this book that I assumed would be explained in more depth, but weren't, in terms of this new world. I expected more exploration of the characters' feelings as clones, etc.
I also think the tangents were a very mildly exasperating; Kathy would talk about an incident, then go off talking about an incident relating to one detail, then, in the next chapter, she'd resume the original story.
Ishiguro tends to overexplain emotions and reactions; on some level, some of the emotions are strange and need to be explained, but after so much of it...
Reminded me of how I felt with Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha; I felt he didn't understand women enough to be able to write as one. The over-explanations seemed to me to be trying to rationalize emotions that should have been more readily apparent.
I'm not sure if this is just the author's style, or something he adopted with a female protagonist.
But, all in all, good.
Book Review: Too much psychological introspection
Summary: 2 Stars
I listened to the whole thing on CDs in my car. If I had been reading, I would not have finished it. Mostly psychological introspection that goes on and on and on. Too slow.