Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

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In a word: poignant

In a sentence: Kathy reminisces about her childhood and investigates the purpose of her existence.

Synopsis: The children at Hailsham are raised for a higher societal purpose in a quasi liberal arts, quasi farmlike upbringing. Ruth ruminates on childhood trends, the friends she grew up with, and the purpose of her life.

Reactions: I’ve mentioned it before, but dystopia is not my favorite genre. I chose Never Let Me Go primarily due to the renown of its author, Kazuo Ishiguro. I expected the typical sterilized society filled with clones and horror. What I found, however, was so much more than a thoughtful author and interesting societal examination. It would have been all too simple for Ishiguro to write a tale of disillusionment, frustrated and nihilistic. Instead, he pinpointed the humanity inherent to the lifestyle of the clones in his society, and made it the focal point of the narrative. Never Let Me Go is a completely relatable examination of the meaning of humanity at the nexus of organic humans and their clones.

There is a tenderness in Ruth’s naivety. She is a childlike character, even later in her life, a sense which is accentuated by the retrospective nostalgia of the narrative perspective. It is this tenderness too that creates the tragedy of the tale. Ruth and her friends are so immersed in their own humanity (which is also the question of the tale) that they are able to gain an understanding of their condition without suffering the anger or fear that might accompany such a futile existence. This creates an entirely authentic telling of a dystopia which is a brand new examination of the genre.

Read if: you’re curious for a different sort of dystopia.