Sunday, 31 July 2016

Never let me go by Kazuo Ishiguro

"Never let me go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. This edition of the book is published by Faber in 2010 and has 304 pages. This book was shortlisted for Man Booker prize in 2005. 

Cathy and her friends grow up in a Hailsham facility and are tutored by guardians. They do not have parents but are well taken care of. When their educations ends, they will either becom carers or do donations.

What is the facility? What is a carer? Why donate?

Looking outwardly, it's an innicuous story of a set of orphan, but well cared, children, their interrelations and their relationship with the outer world. However something forbidden, something sinister, something dangerous is always lurking beneath the surface. It's revealed bit by bit.

For most part the story is innocuous. Little tiffs, one up man ship, love, sex, child conspiracies etc. The real stuff comes in bits and pieces and makes the reading of apparently trivial things worth it. 

The story is narrated in first person by Cathy. Ruth, her best friend, and Tommy, Ruth's boyfriend and her good friend, are the main characters along with a couple of guardians. Story is narrated in present and in memories.

It's not the text of the book that disturbs you. It's the sub text. It's what's not written rather than what is written that matters. 

The idea of facility, if students and their destiny is very bold. Without it the story would have become unreadable. 

Read if you have lots of patience.



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