Never Let Me Go

After scores of positive reviews, I had been excitedly awaiting the DVD release of the film Never Let Me Go (which I will indeed wait until post-grad to watch unless I can manage to approve it at IWU). While waiting for the film, I decided to read the 2005 novel by Kazuo Ishiguro of the same name. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the novel, having only seen the trailer for the movie. Without much hesitation, I purchased the book and set off on the adventure. Here are my thoughts. I won’t spoil the ending, but it would be too challenging to not mention some of the more crucial plot elements.

The book centers on the lives of three main characters: Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth. The entire piece is from the perspective of Kathy, who looks back on her life and relays the information to the audience. Knowing the little I did about the book, there seemed to be quite a few mysteries unbeknownst to the audience, as well as Kathy. These mysteries unraveled slowly and somewhat painfully. I easily became emotionally attached to the characters in the beginning. They were young schoolchildren, struggling to find answers to their existence.

As their childhood progresses, something seems off. Not with the students, but with their situation. The students themselves seem remarkably normal, enjoying sports, imagination, and learning. They seem to attend a boarding school called Hailsham, where they are tended to by “guardians.” About a third of the way into the novel, it is revealed, if the audience hasn’t yet caught on, that these students are clones created for the sole purpose of organ donation. Because of the seeming banality of their situation, these students quietly and calmly accept their fates.

The way Ishiguro left their life purposes a secret in the beginning gave the audience an opportunity to connect with Kathy and the others on a more human level than it would have otherwise allowed. The audience’s ability to witness the purity of their childhood souls contrasted the society’s view of the clones. Their not-so-far-off fictional society turns a blind eye to these poor “creatures.” They aren’t recognized as humans, let alone beings with souls.

As the story progresses, situations arise in the characters’ lives that parallel those we might experience, further solidifying the audience’s human bond with them. One example I distinctly remember was an incident where Kathy catches Ruth in a lie. She plots to expose Ruth, a move which she labels justice. Kathy plans the incident out perfectly, and executes it similarly as well. After her words of accusation come from her mouth, though, trapping Ruth, Kathy didn’t feel that sense of satisfaction she had once desired. Instead, she felt guilty, pitiful, and a little disgusting. Of course, Ishiguro hardly had to describe her feelings, the audience can formulate its own emotion based on its own experiences. Kathy exposed herself to vengeance and its consequences.

This book takes a serious look at what it means to be human and the bonds we share whether we were created by womb or by test tube. It ethically examines the consequences of seeing humanity as a commodity, shaming our consumeristic mindset. It shows the dirty, gritty realness of true love and sacrifice. It reveals aspects of our own souls we can only find by examining another’s. It challenges the extents we will go to as a society to get what we want. It challenges me on a personal level to seek truth and compassion.

If you don’t mind a slow, downbeat read with glorious substance and a deep, lasting end result, I would highly suggest reading Never Let Me Go.