Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I finally read Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and finished it in one day. What surprised me about it is how readable it was. I'd heard much praise about the book, but I think I was surprised by its readability because my only exposure, so far, to Kazuo Ishiguro was the movie version of "Remains of the Day." I loved it, but knew it was langurous. Thus, it was pleasant to find out that Never Let Me Go was the kind of book that you wanted to and could finish in a day.

So now I can finally watch the movie.:)

Never Let Me Go is the story of three friends, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth, who grew up in Hailsham, a boardinghouse in England. There, they spent an idyllic childhood under firm but kind guardians. They were taught to create art and value each other's creations. Yet, Hailsham students are different from the rest of humanity. As this was mentioned in the movie trailer, hinted at from the very beginning of the book, and revealed in full by the first quarter of the book, Hailsham students were bred in order to be used as donors for other humans. They were made for that purpose.

Interestingly, though the summary above smacks so much of sci-fi, the book isn't really about science-fiction. In fact, considering the kind of writer Ishiguro is, the book falls under literary fiction. But let's do away with labels. What the book charts is the relationship among the three main characters and how the other people who live this fate cope with it. How does one go through life knowing that this is what one is made for?

There was no outward rebellion in Kathy, Tommy, Ruth, nor any of the other students from Hailsham. There was no talk of running away. There was only the acceptance of their lot. This sounds a bit passive, but their lives hardly were. The book charts how they grew up, how they learned things, how they were affected by things they learned. But more importantly, Kathy, the book's narrator, talks about their relationships with each other, and how little things that might not have made sense at one point gain more significance when one grows older and gets more perspective.

It is Kathy's story who, though she might not have known it, has always been in love with Tommy, even if, for most of their life, Tommy was with Ruth. And Tommy's story who always had to struggle with not being as creative as the others, but more introspective than the others. And Ruth, the perfect frenemy--charming, supportive, manipulative, and deceitful. (I seriously wanted to whack her for the greater portion of the book.) It is the story of how they were brought together, torn apart, then brought together once more. And I thought the questions this book asks of its main characters really are: how much more will you value these people now you know what they were made for? How much more will you value your life because you know there's a lease for it?

So now I see why people rave about the book. It is beautiful and wonderful. It may not fall within my most-loved novels of all time, but who knows--I might gain more perspective when I watch the movie and change my mind. Nevertheless, it is up there with my five star books, and I did wake up this morning still thinking about the three characters, so that's a good sign. A book that keeps me thinking is definitely a candidate for all-time favorites.