- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Most Helpful Favorable Review
15 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
NEVER LET ME GO
This amazing, intriguing novel really works the mind and is intricately plotted and very well thought-out. A group of human clones are trapped in a society devoid of moral conscience. The characters grow, blossom, fight and love. There are so many human emotions to deal...Read More
This amazing, intriguing novel really works the mind and is intricately plotted and very well thought-out. A group of human clones are trapped in a society devoid of moral conscience. The characters grow, blossom, fight and love. There are so many human emotions to deal with. At one level this is a deeply moving and sad love story told by a young woman, the sole survivor of a love triangle. At another level, it's an accumulative horror story. In a special boarding school where, in total isolation, they are being prepared for an early death by organ donation to the terminally ill. The plot is rather simple, a woman in her 30s starts recalling her youth at this boarding school after meeting up again with an old friend and her friend's ex-boyfriend, who she had a crush on. Through her work, she cares for both of them and learns more about why they were born, and what is in store for them. There is sorrow, poignancy, mystery and suspense, not to mention totally unique!Show Less
posted by poosie on September 10, 2010
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Most Helpful Critical Review
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Let Me Go . . . PLEASE!
This book was a total disappointment. I cannot believe that so many reviewers praised it highly and were 'surprised' by the truth revealed in the last pages. Really? In the first few pages, the now-grown children are referred to as 'Donors' and 'Carers'--what did you...Read More
This book was a total disappointment. I cannot believe that so many reviewers praised it highly and were 'surprised' by the truth revealed in the last pages. Really? In the first few pages, the now-grown children are referred to as 'Donors' and 'Carers'--what did you THINK that meant? No surprises for me--just a lot of boring details about adolescents in an exclusive school with a supposed 'secret.' I stuck with it, but when I was done, I wished I had spent my time on something else.Show Less
posted by Anonymous on February 18, 2007
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.-
poosie
Posted September 10, 2010
I Also Recommend:
NEVER LET ME GO
This amazing, intriguing novel really works the mind and is intricately plotted and very well thought-out. A group of human clones are trapped in a society devoid of moral conscience. The characters grow, blossom, fight and love. There are so many human emotions to deal with. At one level this is a deeply moving and sad love story told by a young woman, the sole survivor of a love triangle. At another level, it's an accumulative horror story. In a special boarding school where, in total isolation, they are being prepared for an early death by organ donation to the terminally ill. The plot is rather simple, a woman in her 30s starts recalling her youth at this boarding school after meeting up again with an old friend and her friend's ex-boyfriend, who she had a crush on. Through her work, she cares for both of them and learns more about why they were born, and what is in store for them. There is sorrow, poignancy, mystery and suspense, not to mention totally unique!
15 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
A True Masterpiece
The thing about Never Let Me Go is that it is best to go in completely blind. I had no clue what the book was about, I wanted to see the movie, so I figured I'd read the book first. Going in blind about the plot, about the entire novel, made it that much better for me.
Told by Kathy, a thirty one year old 'carer,' in reverent back and forth memories from her present to all the tiny, yet meaningful moments that spattered her life in the past, makes the book feel very conversational which makes it more personal; like Kathy is reliving her past with the reader. She recalls her days at Hailsham, the boarding school that she shared with others like her; with Tommy and Ruth, her two closest friends. Getting to know these three is like getting reacquainted with an old friend, but the fact that they are special never eludes the reader.
The plot for the book is not hard to guess once you begin reading it. The hints about what is going on are not very subtle at all, but the execution of getting to the final reveal is done so beautifully and delicately. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy's fate is inevitable. They know it, but we, as readers, will understand it more than they ever seem to. We are the ones who feel the ache of innocence lost and the heartbreak of the future to come.
Life, love, and death are all monumental moments in our lives, but this book tackles the brevity of life and the notion that we are stuck in our roles, in the lives that have already been forged for us. Hailsham students have a purpose and it may not be one we are all comfortable with.
Ishiguro goes beyond the loss of innocence and makes you question the meaning of life, who deserves it, and just how large a role fate plays in life. Never Let Me Go is a powerful, moving portrait of humanity at its best and worst; with all the splendor of childhood innocence and the harsh reality of the cruelties the world has to offer. It's not simply a book about human mortality and loss; it is about the nature of human beings and the ethical dilemmas that could easily arise in the world we are developing. This book will make you feel something and only the best ones can do it so well. It's been hailed as the best novel of the decade and I can only agree because this is truly a masterpiece.
Opening line(s): My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years. ~ pg. 3
Favorite lines/passages (I've got two):
"One day, maybe not so long from now, you'll get to know how it feels." So you're waiting, even if you don't quite know it, waiting for the moment when you realise that you really are different to them; that there are people out there, like Madame, who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you - of how you were brought into this world and why - and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs. ~ pg. 36
And this one:
It never occurred to me that our lives, until then so closely interwoven, could unravel and separate over a thing like that.
But the fact was, I suppose, there were powerful tides tugging us apart by then, and it only needed something like that to finish the task. If we'd understood that back then - who knows? - maybe we'd have kept a tighter hold of one another. ~ pg. 19711 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted December 19, 2005
Unlike anything else you've read lately
What makes this book a page-turner (I read it in two-days) is the way the author lets the details of the story unfold so gradually, constantly making the reader want to know more. The book is very well written, and though I've not read anything else of Ishiguro's, my interest in his work has been piqued by this novel. My only complaint is the rushed ending, which seems rather staged and hollow, not at all in keeping with the rest of the book. Still, a fascinating read, incredible subject matter (I won't give anything away, because for me, at least, it was perfect going into this read with no preconceived ideas) and a must on your bedside reading table!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Great Read!
This book was an absolutely devastating read. I knew after the first or second chapter exactly what the "reveal" was, but it isn't a story meant to conclude when you learn what happens behind the curtain.
It also isn't science fiction, which, upon learning the substance of what challenges the characters, one would assume it to be. It's hard to pigeon-hole it as anything definite - neither political, dramatic, etc; it seems, instead, to explore a number of themes. The story itself has a life and no life can really be explained away as being mono-thematic.
I was particularly disturbed after finishing the book, having never felt such sadness and loss after reading something. It was a loss that seemed irreconcilable and irredeemable, and I didn't know quite how to feel about it. I had a lot of questions that I felt were purposely ignored, that bothered me throughout the book, and yet that didn't seem to ruin the story for me. I think the question that will pop up for whomever decides to read this - where is the survival instinct? how are these people so expressive in their humanity, and yet without the will to escape? - is meant to leave you feeling the way you do, as you can assume it probably leaves the characters you are reading about feeling the very same way. There is the question of nature versus nurture (are we born believing we possess certain rights innately? or is this something we are taught? are we born to believe we must strive to live on and on, even if someone tells you that is not the case, from the very moment you are born?) and the question, cliched as it seems, of what it means to be human, but more importantly, what it means to live, what is a life, what events define it, what must occur for one to definitively say "I have lived a life in full."4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
nickWILSON
Posted October 18, 2010
Worst book in recent memory
I realized what was going on in the first couple chapters, as I hope anyone else would!
The writing style is SO repetitive. Its like a 6th grader wrote this- and not a very bright one. The one time in 280 pages ishiguro tries to use some interesting imagery, the author destroys it by basically explaining the metaphor/symbolism step by step for you in the very next paragraph! So: the plot is terrible- the writing style is pathetic, the whole book is terribly boring, I don't know what else to say except I'm furious I wasted my time on this dribble.2 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted February 18, 2007
Let Me Go . . . PLEASE!
This book was a total disappointment. I cannot believe that so many reviewers praised it highly and were 'surprised' by the truth revealed in the last pages. Really? In the first few pages, the now-grown children are referred to as 'Donors' and 'Carers'--what did you THINK that meant? No surprises for me--just a lot of boring details about adolescents in an exclusive school with a supposed 'secret.' I stuck with it, but when I was done, I wished I had spent my time on something else.
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted January 4, 2012
Unique
I first heard about the movie then learned it was adapted from a novel so I thought I read it first. It was an interesting novel, definitely never read anything like it before. The ending was sad, though for some reason I couldnt get attached to the novel, I found myself at times forcing myself to read it because I wasnt really into it. But still a nicely done book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted January 3, 2012
The worst book ever
I had to read this book for class and i absolutly hated it the authir did such horrible job on writing this book you get confused throughout the while book
Jelena forever1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
A sad story.
This novel is about young people who are called special and they are all Hailsham students. Hailsham is some sort of an orphanage because the students don't have any family. They are clones and were created to donate organs to cure 'normal' people. Their life span is about 30 years and yet they get an education at Hailsham as if they were destined to a fulfilling live as intellectuals.
It's rumored among the students of Hailsham that when a boy and a girl love each other sincerely, they are allowed to have two years for themselves before the final stage of their short life. The two main characters find the person who can give the permission but she says that it was only a rumor, nothing more. This makes me angry and sad. Something you and I take for granted are not allowed to this persons and the fact that they are 'special' becomes an empty phrase. They were never given a fair chance to lead their own lives.
What is the meaning of this novel? I said that they were never given a fair change to lead their own lives but are we able to do so? We have our loved ones to take care of, we live in a troublesome society and we are easily destroyed by incurable diseases. Is our live better or easier? I believe that in the end, Kazuo Ishiguro has written a symbolic novel about the fragility of our lives regardless of what or who we are.1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted September 19, 2008
Never Let Me Go ¿ Book Review. !Spoiler Alert!
In the story Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro raises important issues about today¿s society and the definition of life and when it begins and ends. The story takes place in Kathy¿s childhood home of Hailsham, a prestigious boarding school. There she met Tommy and Ruth, two of her best friends that help her through some of the toughest and most confusing times she has throughout her childhood. The school was in the secluded English country side where no-one from the outside world, except maintenance workers and the head of the boarding school itself, was allowed into the premises. This seclusion brought up many questions over their years at Hailsham, but the ¿guardians¿ were sure never to give the students more information than they needed to know. That is until one day when a guardian named Mrs. Lucy told them the dark secret of the place they called home. She told them that they were all clones and that when the time came they were going to go through the process of donations the donation of their vital organs to those who needed them from the outside. All the years of the teachers telling them that they were special finally made sense. They were indeed special, but only in their ability to prolong the lives of others at the expense of their own lives. Throughout this story Kazuo Ishiguro brings up important issues that are going on in today¿s society. For one, we can¿t play God. It¿s immoral to make clones of someone and then when they have experienced life brutally kill them by harvesting their vital organs. This brings up the point of, when does a life, really become a life. Just like when is it wrong to harvest stem cells from the fetus, when is it wrong to harvest organs from a clone? Ishiguro uses the interesting story of Kathy and her life, and the life of her friends to make a point. I would recommend this story to anyone who feels strongly about the topic of cloning, or to anyone who just really likes a good sci-fi suspense story.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted September 26, 2008
Never Let Me Go Headline
Never Let Me Go is a book I would recommend for no one, mainly because it lacks an explosive beginning. also, though you are entitled to your own opinion, I do not agree with Debra Bruno of the Chicago Sun-Times when they said that 'This is a novel worth reading. It's disturbing, mesmerizing, thought-provoking.' also, I do not think that I would recommend this book for freshmen in college. One review that I do agree with is Mark Harris of Entertainment Weekly, 'After you read it, give it to a friend. You'll want to have someone to argue with.' [8 April 2005, p. 69], yeah ya'll would argue, about how bad this book is.
1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted July 29, 2008
Tour de force
Expertly crafted and paced, NEVER LET ME GO is nothing like the other author's book, REMAINS OF THE DAY. I loved the character development and way that all the people reacted to situations. It was at once real and at the same time atmospheric and surreal.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted November 7, 2006
Read if you must...
but beware you have been warned. This absurd, dull novel about these children's hum-drum existence is on my worst-book-of-the-year list. It's hard to believe that Ishiguro also wrote the beautiful 'Remains of the Day.'
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted August 15, 2006
Dull and Pointless
This is the most boring book I've ever read. The only reason I finished it was to see if it got better (it doesn't) and because I was reading it for a book club. The plot is absurd and very slow moving. The narration style is unfocused and annoying. For instance, Kathy will start telling some anecdote and then stop and say but let me get back to that I have to tell you this other boring thing first. I agree with the other reviewer - don't waste your time!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted July 21, 2006
Don't waste your time
A dull, forgettable novel filled with pointless anecdotes recounted in a haughty fashion. It¿s disappointing because the author could have done so much more with the subject matter. The novel is basically a series of recollections from the narrator, who came of age at an exclusive boarding school tucked in the English countryside. Problem is, the memories she shares are so trivial and mundane, the reader can¿t help but become exasperated¿quickly. Pages and pages are devoted to silly episodes like losing a favorite cassette tape, helping to calm down a good friend down after his classmates play a trick on him, pondering the origins of a friend¿s new pencil case¿and so on. The author might argue that these instances reveal something more significant overall about the school and narrator¿s experiences, but to me, the only thing they reveal is that he has completely lost touch with the reader. The conclusion, which could have helped redeem the book, was also disappointing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted July 1, 2006
hated it
really boring writing! Only reason I continued with the story after the first chapter was that a friend told me I needed to read this book...and it is a rare book that I can not finish. But it seems to me to be more of the 'same old same old'... a rewrite of a human story. It is rewritten as if it were a new and important concept. Not so. Replace the 'clones' in the story with slaves from Africa centuries ago... or of what happened to, say, Irish, German, or Swedish immigrants to the US... what is the difference? Alien is alien! Outcast is outcast. Pain is pain...None of the characters were treated as human yet they were given human attributes...(and I hope that is the point of this story) Students, carers, guardians, donors... just more of all of our everyday lives. We study, we care, we lead, we give.. we die. sorry nothing new here.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted August 19, 2006
Boring
Started reading this book for book club. Starting skimming the first half,(a bad sign!) hoping that the middle part of the book would reveal something interesting once the kids got to adolesence. WRONG! Skipped to the end.....still nothing. I would say, don't bother with this book even if it's for a book club!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted March 16, 2006
Don't Bother
I don't know why the critics touted this as such a great book. There simply was no plot, no real disucussion of how the 'school' came to be or why, no resolution. When the book ended, I felt gyped and totally left in the cold.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted March 1, 2006
Never Read This Book
This book,in addition to being boring and repetitious, is extremely derivative. Furthermore, it takes a stance on an issue, cloning, that requires complex consideration. I am sure that if Mr. Ishiguro had relatives or close associates who might benefit from stem cell research, that he might have reconsidered his approach to this trendy topic. If you want literate science fiction, read Margaret Atwood or Doris Lessing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged. -
Anonymous
Posted February 11, 2006
Uninspired
The subject of cloning for the purpose of providing organs for donation is a fascinating topic. I'd love to have a group of imaginative, intelligent, creative people join me in a discussion of this scientific and moral quicksand. Mr Ishiguro would not be invited, however. In Never Let Me Go he manages to drag his long-suffering readers through 288 pages of uninspired, unexplained and unexplored pablum on the subject without providing even one tiny spark of insight or a sense that he is even mildly interested in the subject himself. His bland and wooden characters and eighth grade level prose suggest that clones, should they ever exist, will have no useful intelligence, personalities, emotions, depth of character, curiosity, souls or advocates.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
