Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (2005)

Three students at Hailsham, an elite English boarding school, gradually learn the meaning of their lives.

Book Review:  When first I reviewed Never Let Me Go, my conclusion was that it needed a reread. So now I have. Written by Kazuo Ishiguro, the reigning master of subtlety (see Remains of the Day), this is not sci-fi, tho it may be speculative or "what if" fiction. If you read this expecting a typical science fiction tale, disappointment awaits. Ishiguro is brilliant at mood, tone, and all the quiet elements of writing that are easy for readers to glide over like fish in water, and he succeeds at that here as well. To sit down over coffee and discuss all the potential themes and ideas spun from Never Let Me Go, from smaller points such as ethical relationships among friends, to the concept of humanity and the purpose of life, well, it would take gallons of coffee. This book is generally so quiet in dealing with these issues that sometimes the point just slips by and the reader is well on into the next chapter. Reflection is essential to this book -- perfect for book clubs. There are three main elements Ishiguro is working with in Never Let Me Go to express his themes. First, he provides an abundance of detail, even unnecessary detail, about the characters, to paint their personalities, hopes, dreams, their humanity. Second, and a little less believably, he shows them accepting their lot in life almost without a murmur, apparently because of societal conditioning. And finally, he shows how society treats the characters, how they are fooled, not informed of their destiny, how information is only slowly and dimly doled out. Ishiguro shows their life of privilege at Hailsham, but also tells of much poorer conditions for others of their kind. Never Let Me Go is quite carefully written, Ishiguro works quite hard at creating a credible alternate reality. Despite his careful craftsmanship, I still had a few moments of doubt and questions about the credibility of actions (and inaction) that weren't explained. Although quite different, this book has some of the elegiac quality of the film Blade Runner, and some similarities. The themes of Never Let Me Go could be analogized to the inhumanity of slavery, as in that movie. My only real caveat regarding this impressive book was the ending. After carefully dribbling out information over the course of the book, at the end the whole explanation splashes out like the conclusion of a tired detective novel. And while adequate, it's not terribly revealing, and seemed to mildly defeat all that came before. That said, my rereading was profitable and enjoyable, and I still think it's a wonderful book, although my rating didn't change. [4 Stars]