Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Wow. I’m not really sure where to start when it comes to Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. It’s a complex novel that my poor choice of words won’t be able to do justice. I should start by saying I chose to read this book at the most inappropriate time of my life, and therefore, I found myself struggling to get into it at first. I was also troubled by the novel but this tender masterpiece always made me think. A word of warning - If you are poorly or going into hospital, you might want to leave this novel for now. This isn’t one to be reading on your sickbed.
A Dystopian Novel With Heart?
Never Let Me Go is a novel that doesn’t slot into one genre neatly. It straddles several genres with its themes and ambitions. A dystopian novel with heart, and a literary novel with compassion, with a sprinkling of science fiction and perhaps even the slightest shading of horror. Be warned, this is a novel that will haunt you long after you have finished it.
I am reluctant to reveal too much of this novel. If you haven’t read this novel yet or seen the film, I don’t want to ruin if for you because I want you to experience what I did. I want you to have the pleasure of coming to this story first-hand. Even though I REALLY want to discuss one of the central themes and how I felt about it. Especially as I am coming at it as someone who has been ill with a life-threatening illness. I shall leave it there though, before I give too much away. All I will say is that Ishiguro so artfully and gradually pulls you along, only choosing to reveal when the time is right. When that reveal happens you will find yourself looking at everything around you that little bit more differently. It’s a reveal that will raise a lot of moral and ethical questions. Ones that I am still not sure I have the answers to.
However, I think it is safe to say that this is a novel that centres around Kathy H, the protagonist and her two best friends Tommy and Ruth. Much of the story covers Kathy’s recollection of them growing up in boarding school – Halisham – where they are looked after by Guardians. It immediately becomes clear that something isn’t quite right. They seem cut off from society, there is no mention of parental visits. It all feels a little unsettling and as a reader you feel a little disorientated to start with.
Mysterious
We then follow the three into adulthood and learn about their lives and how they are still connected by their time at Halisham. I had quite a physical reaction to reading this book. The sense of danger lurking just beneath the surface made my stomach churn. At times I felt like I was blindfolded. I didn’t know what to expect next, I just had a horrible sense of foreboding. Yet, you will find it hard to place a finger on what it is exactly that is making you feel nervous. On the surface Halisham seems like a lovely charmed and innocent existence. It’s a story of friendship, love and conflict. On the surface this is just a story about a girl growing up. What’s so nightmarish about that? The words of Kathy H will creep under your skin as will that dawning realisation. Her future, her destiny, isn’t like yours or mine. She has no say.
This deceptively simple story is confronting. It’s not an easy read. It’s dark, and upsetting, but it will also make you reflect. This is a novel that is beautifully written you will want to take your time with it. Despite the darkness, there is one common idea that weaves its way through the book and the lines written on the page – hope. The idea that even during the bleakest times there will always be hope. I can get on board with that. I am always here for hope.