I hadn’t read anything by Kazuo Ishiguro before this book, but after finishing Never Let Me Go I will most certainly be reading his back list.
In 1952 a medical breakthrough meant that the average human could now live beyond 100 years; but at a price. Never Let Me Go is narrated by Kathy, a woman in her 30’s coming to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School. The story is centred around Kathy, Ruth and Tommy and explores the themes of memory, friendship and love. The story jumps timelines as Kathy’s memories surface and we follow her meandering journey through her past as she comes to understand what Hailsham really was. (I can’t elaborate without spoilers!)
I would categorise this book as a dystopian tragedy, somewhat reminiscent of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and would recommend you add this to your reading list. It’s engrossing, thought provoking and empathetic.
Note: In 2010 they made Never Let Me Go into a movie, starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley, which seems to have garnered good reviews. Given that Kazuo Ishiguro is also a screenwriter, I am planning to track this down and see how well it translates to the screen.