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| Never Let Me Go |
Title: Never Let Me Go
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 288
How I Found It: I've read other Ishiguro works and I really liked the film adaptation of this novel.
Date Completed: 5/7/17
Summary: Kathy recounts her years of friendship with Tommy and Ruth. From their days confined to boarding school to their years as carers and donors, their story is haunted by questions and rumors about their life's purpose.
What I Thought: I saw the film adaptation of this ages ago. I fell completely in love with it, in part because it has one of my favorite film scores ever. Looking back now, I'm not surprised I enjoyed the movie. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Gafield, Kiera Knightly... The cast was stacked before any of those three really became major stars.
I haven't seen the movie in years, but I've been enjoying Ishiguro's work lately and really coming to respect him as an author. It seemed like a good time to visit the source.
I really enjoyed the book. Ishiguro has such a mastery of language. His slow plot reveals are, in my opinion, some of the best in literature. His characters are rich and deep and complex. I especially love how long it takes to realize the nature of these characters' lives. There are tiny clues throughout the book that they are not "normal," but you don't get the payoff of that until deep into the story. Even then, it's not a dramatic reveal. It's told as though you've known all along.
I want to watch the movie again now, if only to hear that haunting score in context and not just out of my music collection. But, I also want to see it and determine if the haunting tone of the book is recalled in the film the way I remember it is. This is a great, heart-breaking story wherever you encounter it. To date, it is my favorite of Ishiguro's works.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Will I Re-Read: Possibly. I definitely want to see the movie again.
Other Books By Kazuo Ishiguro: The Remains of the Day / The Buried Giant
A Reduced Review: This haunting story of love and friendship is masterfully crafted, a standard for Kazuo Ishiguro.
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