I've just finished 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro, a book which has really got you talking on Twitter!
Set in an imaginary late 1990s Britain, 'Never Let Me Go' tells the story of three friends; the devious Ruth, child-like Tommy and contemplative Kathy, all former inmates of Hailsham, a boarding school with almost mythical status among their peers. At the age of 32, Kathy has become a carer and reflects on the truths and lies which have had such a major impact on all their lives, many rooted, like their friendship, in their formative years at Hailsham under the guardianship of the authoritative Miss Emily and the conflicted Miss Lucy.
This book is a lot better than the previous paragraph makes it sound, but I daren't write more as I don't want to give anything away!
'Never Let Me Go' is the least science fiction-y science fiction book I've ever read. I really didn't think it was science fiction until quite a way into the book, which just goes to show how daft labelling by genre really is. There are two stories going on here - that of Kathy and her friends and that of the role they and others like them play in wider society. The book's strength is its subtlety, in that it's not about a big technological idea, it's about the people who have to live with the consequences of it. Ishiguro remains focussed and faithful to the human element throughout, so, despite a persistent sense that something isn't quite right, the science fiction is really only drip fed to the reader when it's necessary for the personal narrative.
By the end of the book, you realise that this is story is full of enough thought provoking allegory to keep any book group discussing it for many years. Animal rights, what makes us human, innocence and childhood are just a few themes that spring to mind. If this book isn't on the English Literature syllabus already, it really should be.
As soon as I got to the end of this book, I was ready to turn back to the first page and read it again. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it!) I do have one or two other ones to read first, but I'm sure I will return to 'Never Let Me Go' in the future. In the meantime, this is a story that will live up to its name.
Now, what next...
