Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go
My reading of this book was coloured by the discussion at the Not The Clarke panel at Eastercon. I already knew that it had been compared to Michael Marshall Smith’s "Spares," which is one of my favourites, and there were enough clues for me to guess what was going on fairly early in my reading.
Having said that, it didn’t really spoil the book for me. I liked the depiction of life in a children’s institution. I’m guessing Alison Lapper (who grew up in Chailey Heritage School for disabled children) would recognise the kind of institutionalised childhood that Ishiguro describes. The rumour-mills, the carefully delimited speculation about the future, the secret collections of tat, the desperate attempts to get some time alone. It all rings quite true.
I got quite attached to Kath, the narrator. In some ways, she was the type of child I’d have liked to have been; intelligent, a reliable friend, a confidante, and a popular student. However, the storytelling style really annoyed me. Everything was painstakingly explained; I think this, and here’s an illustration, see what I mean and aren't I clever for spotting it? That type of writing. I suppose this is intended to convey some of the suffocating nature of the characters lives. But it made Kath come across as almost autistic, and really irritating.
The concept has some pretty big holes in it. I didn't really understand the role of the "carers," and why they keep whizzing about all over the country instead of staying in one place. Nobody ever explains why death is described as completion, or even hints at where that idea might have come from.
Never Let Me Go did make me think a bit, but Spares is much better at that. My suggestion is read Spares instead.
Having said that, it didn’t really spoil the book for me. I liked the depiction of life in a children’s institution. I’m guessing Alison Lapper (who grew up in Chailey Heritage School for disabled children) would recognise the kind of institutionalised childhood that Ishiguro describes. The rumour-mills, the carefully delimited speculation about the future, the secret collections of tat, the desperate attempts to get some time alone. It all rings quite true.
I got quite attached to Kath, the narrator. In some ways, she was the type of child I’d have liked to have been; intelligent, a reliable friend, a confidante, and a popular student. However, the storytelling style really annoyed me. Everything was painstakingly explained; I think this, and here’s an illustration, see what I mean and aren't I clever for spotting it? That type of writing. I suppose this is intended to convey some of the suffocating nature of the characters lives. But it made Kath come across as almost autistic, and really irritating.
The concept has some pretty big holes in it. I didn't really understand the role of the "carers," and why they keep whizzing about all over the country instead of staying in one place. Nobody ever explains why death is described as completion, or even hints at where that idea might have come from.
Never Let Me Go did make me think a bit, but Spares is much better at that. My suggestion is read Spares instead.