Friday 20 April 2018

"Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

   Dystopian novels seem to be popular these days.  And this is a science fiction dystopian novel.
   It is written by a Nobel Prize-winning author Kazui Ishiguro.  It has won many awards and citations.
  The author, who is also known for "Remains of the Day", has called this novel 'his most uplifting novel', because it is the only one to feature a wholly sympathetic cast: Kathy H., our narrator, is a thoroughly likable, thoroughly sensible, thoroughly ordinary young girl, which makes what happens to her all the more upsetting.



Kazuo Ishiguro
   And what happens to her?  Well, it is dystopian, so be prepared.  The novel is about a boarding school, 'Hailsham', peopled by clones who will be used for organ replacement.  The teacher told them, "Your lives are set out for you.  Before middle age, you'll donate your vital organs.  You were brought into this world for a purpose."  If they are lucky, they may spend a few years being a 'carer' for those who are 'donating'.
   And, also of interest, is the fact that each person was copied from a normal person, so they are interested in finding their 'original'.

   The content was not of interest to me, but the writing was worse.
Most of the novel is Kathy going back and forth in her mind to her years at Hailsham: "I want to tell you this, but I have to go back and tell you this"...back and forth, mostly remembering conversations.  Lots of emotion, very little plot.
   Perhaps this is a better cover:

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