As much as it pains me to conform, I can think of no other way to start this post that will not be a “corny joke”. Therefore, I am on page 111, the end of Part I. Actually, I don’t think it is possible for me to start without said joke, so I will now cut myself off before I ---. (Sorry, but that was censored because it was turning into a joke).
I’ll now start at the beginning, which, generally, is a good place to start. However, that is not how Kazuo Ishiguro started “Never Let Me Go”, instead using a number of flashbacks to tell the story (but more on that later). The very first line disappointed me, because, after being assured that this is an all-around wonderful book by the cover, the first lines tell, “My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years” (Ishiguro 3). My initial reaction was one of horror; I figured that I’d just condemned myself to a forced reading of an extremely boring book (which is generally my impression when I read a sentence like this). I suppose that the author did a good job of instilling curiosity in the reader with the “I’ve been a carer” part, but I decided that if the first lines had nothing more interesting to say, this could not be a very interesting book.
However, after reading to page 111, I can say my initial impression was incorrect. “Never Let Me Go” is interesting and captivating enough that I read the beginning as fast as any Grisham book. As I mentioned earlier, the story of Part I is told in flashbacks of the main character’s childhood at a place called Hailsham. Each flashback nicely flows into the next, retelling the narrator’s childhood effectively. The placement and order of the flashbacks is also easy to follow, because each flashback is triggered either by the previous one or something happening during Kathy’s current life. The fact that the novel is told by Kathy in first person allows the reader to better follow the logical order of the flashbacks; for this style of writing, I would have to say I think third person would be ineffective.
One of the factors that originally drew me to this book was the promise that it was a dystopian novel. While it certainly appears to be such, so far it is the type of dystopian novel that spends forever luring the reader into a sense of calm that contrasts with the dystopian parts (such as Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “2 B R 0 2 B”, where the ‘perfect society’ is contrasted with the fact that every time a baby is born, someone must volunteer to die if the baby is to survive). I appreciate this style of writing, but I am generally more intrigued by dystopian novels with much more of a strong, mysterious, and foreboding dystopian factor throughout the book.
For now, I would say that I am enjoying “Never Let Me Go”, and while I hope the next few parts of the book ‘pick up the pace’ in terms of plot, I am looking forward to finishing the novel.
Oh Joel how you amuse me with your clever intros. Now I'm not going to lie here, the reason I joined this group is because I saw the trailer for the movie and it was insanely intriguing. Also I thought it would be interesting since this is an all boy group and a semi-romance novel. It will be cool to see how the opinions of the guys differ from my own. Plus this is one of the first dystopian novels I have read. Anyways that pretty much sums up my intro... Sorry for the lack of comical relief.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I had planned to go in a different route in the discussion of this novel and focus more on the relationships of the characters. However I don't want this post to be extremely irrelevant. I response to what Joel said about the beginning. I completely agree. I was expecting a little more WAPOW! than just "hey my name is Kathy blah blah blah" in fact it wasn't until the first flash back I began to really get into the story.
One thing I both enjoy and am infuriated by is the authors tendency to tip toe around the major issues in the novel. As a reader I am constantly think "whats a donor?" "whats a carer" "why do I feel like their are dark secrets in this boarding school" and finally "What is this whole Gallery thing about?" Although slowly these questions begin to be answered there are moments I really just want to skip ahead or Wikkipedia the ending.
Still the build up of questions become a bit overwhelming. As a reader I prefer to be in on the secrets and just waiting to see how the character reacts instead of having the characters know everything and me being in the dark. But it adds a bit of mystery to the novel which I enjoy.
To be frank I am a bit bored with some large sections of part one. I find myself fearing at times that this is the kind of novel that is better as a movie (if thats possible). However I also enjoy the plot and although I think the character Kathy is a little too passive, she is a good narrator. I think my favorite sections of the novel are when Kathy is reflecting on her childhood at Hailsham.
Anyways this novel is decent and at times it leans toward "WOW!" and other times it leans towards "meh..." but all in all I am feeling okay about
it. Not trying to sound like a groundling but I am hoping the next chapter brings some more violence and romance or just a little more excitement. Oh and Joel? Knock Knock.
I want to kick Kathy H. This character retells her story with such blatant apathy, especially in the first few pages, that her gentle forays into emotional connection serve primarily as subjects of amusement, or disgust, depending on the passion with which I choose to approach the story. And I’m a critic, now, am I not? So with gusto, I will dissect Kazou Ishiguro’s writing. No, this doesn’t even read like a story. This reads like a slightly apologetic column by a part-time young adult writer who moonlights for the local pennybox-funded newsletter. Never Let Me Go is not storytelling; it’s a full novel of apathetic summary. And Kazou’s characters are unspeakable. Children who bully other children ritually? I am not disillusioned, I understand that there are multitudes of situation just as this, but seriously, make the kids more likeable! I dislike Kathy from the beginning, as she selfishly chooses donors from her own school (this borders on memory-oriented masturbation), steals donors from other ‘carers’, and arrogantly seesaws between “oh I’m not boasting” and “JK LAWLZ, I’m boasting, suck it!”. Tommy comes off as a tempestuous, superficial prettyboy who dully gets bullied, despite his apparent undeserved talent.
ReplyDeleteWell. I’m being very rude. My apologies to those who enjoy this novel and its characters, my apologies to Mr. Ishiguro. This novel is still a valid piece of literature, and it seems to be plotted and organized with a complexity that I myself cannot even dream of achieving. The characters are full and real, with realistic motivation that make the story believable, despite the foreign ideas of donors and carers. However, personally, I don’t like this novel. But as it is literature (and I have committed to it) I will continue to read it.
Wow. That first paragraph really is rude. Again, I apologize.
Eh, the first chapters to this book isn't quite what id hope to find with a dystopian novel. From reading other dystopian novels, I have realized a few traits that are apparent in them. For one, is the confusing beginning to the novel, which is only natural as the narrator must somehow introduce an alternate reality. And that many dystopian novels contain a mix of climactic and boring scenes.
ReplyDeleteBut the beginning to this novel has, in a way, let me down in terms of entertainment even with my patient state of mind with this novel. I've been told that this book is amazing by others that have read the book, even the cashier at borders couldn't help but add a ridiculously positive (and long) opinion to the novel.
The reason as to why i do not like this novel (so far) is not because of the pace in which the author introduces new content, but the style in which he does so. I, along with Emily, were hoping for a "wapow" in the beginning. However, like i said before dystopian novels do take time to unveil itself. The reason as to why i do not like the style is because there is not enough of a hook before the narrator goes into a 5+ chapter long barrage of flashbacks. The beginning had a good start (three pages), but the present tense portion was too short before the flashbacks began; leaving me short of a reason to pay attention to Kathy's childhood (which held a lot of necessary information and foreshadowing).
Out of the all the chapters that I read, i only extracted three big ideas that set the novel. First, the children are all raised in a sort of boarding school that is isolated from the rest of the world with only each other and some adult teachers, or guardians, to interact with. Second, the outside world has some sort of secret held away from Hailsham and other schools similar to it (concluded from the timidness of Madame's visits). And last, the role of any adult plays a big, moral-changing part in the novel as they each have a distinct and major role in kathy's flashbacks.
Overall, I am a little dissapointed with the first part of this book. When reading dystopian novels, I look forward to three aspects; violence/action, new and interesting world, and a deep relationship between 2 people (yes I mean romance...). So far, the only thing that remotely caught my interest was the one flashback that described the woods behind Hailsham. With my opinion in mind, I still feel the urge to read on; not only because of the opinions other readers carry, but because the few content-filled scenes provoke a lot of foreshadowing for a possibly well-written, mind-blowing plot.
Hi. Until more options reveal themselves, I have no new and funny way to start this post (unless you found the first letter of the first five words to be humor-that is, quite literally ‘humor’). Okay, I apologize. That may not have been a very funny joke to those who don’t like to use their brain needlessly. You know what else isn’t funny? Part II of Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” (that was an extremely strained transition, by the way).
ReplyDeleteAll right, so reading what my fellow bloggers have written, it seems Ishiguro is missing a vital element: the WAPOW! Truthfully, I do not believe this word appears once in the book. On a more serious note, though, I’d have to agree. For me, the first part of the novel was acceptable, and, as Kyle stated, left a lot of room for great development. It does not appear that said plot or action development, which was much anticipated, occurs.
The whole Part II details life at “the cottages” which is another place where these special people (the main characters, who have something to do with ‘donors’ and ‘carers’) are isolated from the world. Things happen peacefully at the cottages. There are no rebellions, violent outbursts, or even food fights. To put it simply, the only way Ishiguro managed to fill up another hundred pages with words was by detailing the characters’ relationships.
The relationships are where Ishiguro’s talent shines. If I thought the characters were previously developed, they are even more fully developed in Part II. In fact, I think that, as talented as Ishiguro is at developing life-like characters, he spends too much time on the characters and not enough time on the plot. There are simply too many instances, flashbacks, and events included for the sole purpose of developing the characters. Unless this is important for Part III, I think Ishiguro should have included a more interesting plot.
As for the main character, I have the same complaints-she (Kathy) is too developed, and not enough time is spent on an actual plot. Marijn wrote that he feels she narrates with blatant apathy, but I feel that this not only fits with the events narrated, but also occurs because the narrator is looking back on events, not living them. However, in my opinion, Ishiguro has too much narration, with not enough balance of dialogue.
To summarize, this book is turning into a terrific read for those who enjoy books solely based of the interactions and emotions of characters in dull situations. However, as a few others have said, that, to me, is not at all what a dystopian novel should encompass. A dystopian novel’s intrigue comes from the fact that it promises mystery, usually a totalitarian body of some sort, and a dangerous journey that is an attempt to overthrow the totalitarian rule. This book seems to be all about character relationships, so, while I can appreciate the skill with which this is completed, I do not enjoy reading this novel as much as I’d anticipated. I greatly hope that the plot grows greatly in part three.
By the way, Emily, Who’s there?
I begin using a metaphor I once used to describes a close friend's boyfriend. This book is the *BEEP* of a stable heart on one of those heart monitoring machines. It is not flatline nor has it stopped but so far it's about as exciting as a...Beep....Beep....Beep....
ReplyDeleteBy part two the mysteries still continue to build but they are building in slow motion. However I am thrilled that the Ruth Tommy and Kathy have left Hailsham. Their lives at the Cottages intrigue me a lot more only because I feel the characters really begin to develop personalities (except for Kathy who remains an observer and annoyingly passive). But I also miss the "action" that happened at Hailsham (even though it was not a lot). And still that feeling of ....Beep....Beep...Beep remains.
To further comment on Kathy's personality I feel as if Kathy is more of an author herself. She has an almost third person perspective durring the events that is kind of driving me INSANE. Honestly its sorta pathetic that she plays such a minor role in her own memories.
I almost feel like the choice to write the book in flashbacks is hurting the plot. I find myself liking the idea of "Never Let Me Go" a lot more than the actual book.
But perhaps this idea of the students being able to differ to being donors if they fall in love will bring out the plot I have been hoping for. It might even cause Kathy to feel some emotion.
Anyways, like my close friends now ex boyfriend this book is not awful but not wonderful either. And like as a reader I feel I deserve better than ....Beep...Beep...Beep.
And Joel: to!
(Joel please stop trying to be funny, not to be mean, but its not working pretending to not be funny to be funny)
ReplyDeleteFirstly (sorta) one thing that Emily said that really made an "ah ha" moment was when she said how Kathy plays such a small role in her own flashbacks; which is true. But, in a way it makes sense for the story to be told in that way. I've already moved passed thinking this book is good or entertaining; however, it is interesting. Not in the fashion of being an interesting dystopian novel but interesting as in just learning her WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE in past tense. I personally do not like how the entire novel is in past tense. Granted this style does work sometimes, but not too well in terms of this novel. The reason why is because the novel is just to straight forward and almost too easy to foreshadow.
Although I've been told this is a dystopian novel, the only thing dystopianish about it is the whole donations deal, which I admit is pretty interesting. But that is the only thing that represents an alternate/twisted world. Another point that bothers me about this book is that, like I said, is too easy to foreshadow. But the reason why is because its almost a narrative of a (horny) teenager, and not at all what I would like for an ideal dystopian novel.
I said early that I was hoping the flashback in part one would end...I realized that the WHOLE book is pretty much like that. But one thing about this past-tense/flashback styled novel is that it has flashbacks in the flashback. One thing that really bothers me about Ishiguro adding this is that it forces Kathy to have to say something along the lines of "as i've said" or "like i said before" over and over and over and over again. (I may be exaggerative the exact amount a little, but thats just the way it felt)
My last hope for this novel is a possibly interesting part 3. Perhaps details of the donations (which is still a little unclear), or maybe present time events. But I don't really expect that to happen...
I find it interesting how our whole group dislikes this novel, but the other group likes it. And i was almost gonna say its because that group is all girls and this group is all guys but....
One last side note, I saw this movie in a redbox at Albertsons. So I was thinking we should watch the movie just to see if its the same. (and to joel, "Just for kicks and giggles!")
I'm in for watching the movie you know since we are all guys here... It will be bro time.
ReplyDeleteKyle? Go read Windup Girl. THAT is dystopia.
ReplyDeleteExcuse, me, back to this, um....novel. *cringe*
I’m bored. I mean, you got characters *check*, a (relatively) definitive plot *check*, a unique aspect (all flashbacks) *check*, a challenge to overcome (I’m giving this one the benefit of the doubt because honestly, Kathy’s only challenge is getting over her own insipidity) *check*, and energetic, forward motion *che—HOLD UP. Ishiguro, take this back to the drawing board. This is a BESTSELLER?? This puts me to sleep faster than my biology teacher’s lectures! I’m sorry, I wanted a dystopia. I wanted something that would borderline disgust me while capturing my attention in millions of hooks molded from brilliant words. This is dry, crumbly, stale, braincrap. This is what oozes out of Ishiguro’s ears while he’s in a coma from OD’ing on kid’s vitamins. I mean, this is an uninspired, lifeless manuscript, a painful disgrace to all known literature. I’d get more excitement out of trying to read a four-year-old’s handwriting than I do out of this collection of muddy illustrations of relationships, of which the ins and outs are supposedly inferable from Kathy’s (and ultimately, Ishiguro’s) painfully adolescent writing style, which borders on half-hearted gossip related while running on three hours of sleep and sitting in a cold school bus, going to school. The commentary on relationship is painfully sparse, while the “commentary on relationship” is misguided (not untrue, for it isn’t even worthy of recognition), and in a word, ungainly. Even “In the Courts of the Sun” by Brian D’Amato, a 679 page novel about math, wormholes, grown-up Native American nerds, and Aztecs, (actually an excellent novel) is a sleeker read than this clumpy smudge that constitutes the Booker-Prize-winning-New-York-Times-columnist-appraised load of hooey called Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Alright, so it seems we are all in agreement: we thoroughly enjoy a dystopian novel with everything this book doesn't have. Now if we can only get some people from the other group who enjoy this book, we'd have the makings of a greatly entertaining and possibly slightly educational but mostly greatly entertaining comments flame war! The only thing we have different opinions on is the main character, Kathy. You guys (no gender discrimination meant) say Kathy bothers you with her storytelling style, but I don't have much of a problem with the style. Rather, I think the style fits perfectly with the actual plot (small as it is). Which would you all prefer, if you could choose: that Ishiguro change Kathy's character and style, or that he leaver her untouched and add more of a plot?
ReplyDeleteOther things:
Emily-I hope this is interesting for you, this being an all-boy group with a semi-romance novel, because that is exactly what it seems to be (a semi-romance novel). I can appreciate the style, but since this is supposed to be a dystopian novel, I don't enjoy it.
Kyle-I'm sorry, I won't "stop trying to be funny by pretending not to be funny to be funny in an attempt to avoid being funny by being funny and not being funny" because I have the First Amendment to cower under when people begin to throw stones and pass out the pitchforks and torches.
Btw Joel your supposed to say: To who? and I would oh so wittily reply: To Whom! Grammar joke... more on the book later
ReplyDeleteI’d like to take the metaphor Emily started and tweak it a bit. The heart monitor beeping image works well, but I think the person who was being monitored has been killed by the lack of plot in this book. That way, the lines on the diagram of the heartbeat are as flat as the plot line of this book. I know that, this being my last post, I can’t end it with “Gee, hope you pick up the plot, Ishiguro (because it is lying sixty feet behind you on the ground like a dropped fly ball in a world series game, and the number of people yelling for you to ‘pick it up!’ has rendered your writing temporarily inert in right field)”. Therefore, I am disappointed with Ishiguro’s Part III.
ReplyDeleteI’ll admit the plot had potential. However (semi-spoiler alert), remember that big climax present in most dystopian novels? The one where there is major action and plot twists, and ultimately explains the full dystopian world to the reader? It isn’t present. Instead, a previously minor character gives the whole ‘tell-all’ of the novel to an audience of two in a pleasant and peaceful setting (the most excitement comes from the moving people who show up to help with a bureau). It all takes place in about 15-20 pages of dialogue. After I read that, my motivation to finish the book was ruined, and I still had 15 pages left.
To answer my own question (because nobody else has, yet) I would gladly exchange the current main character, Kathy, for a crash dummy if Ishiguro would agree to pick up the plot. I find that a great plot forces strong character development. Ishiguro managed to skillfully develop a cast of characters, but I think he missed the plot step.
As far as character development goes, I feel that Tommy, another main character, became more sharply defined in Part III, while Ruth, Kathy’s friend and a main character, faded. This very well might have been intentional, but I think that Tommy’s character development should have at least come in Part II. As a reader, I’d rather be guessing about the plot than the characters.
I find a theme present in this book as well; one that seems to be stating one should stick to one’s friends when they can, because there are always unforeseeable circumstances, and that sometimes it is better not to know the truth (this second part being common in dystopian novels). Maybe I don’t like this book because it certainly has a message (even if you don’t agree with my interpretation), and I found my other book, a John Grisham novel, to be more entertaining and less of a book that “makes you think”.
Lastly, to echo the complaints of the flashback method, I, too, am tired of it. I thought that by Part III the flashbacks would be over and the novel would be told as events occurred, but this didn’t happen. Instead, Kathy continues her recollection of the past.
Overall, I was disappointed by Ishiguro’s novel and the promise of a dystopian read, and I am not planning on recommending this to anyone except, possibly, an enemy.
-Emily: I was going to ask “To who" here, because my other post was not really a blog post, but oh, well.
*sigh*
ReplyDeleteI'm letting this go, go, go....to my sisters room to stay for a long time.
I must say something first, out of all three parts I enjoy the third part the most. Although the first part seems better, it was really just because it was the introduction to the dystopian world (yes it still is a dystopian world, just not a very fun one). The reason why I liked the third one is because it is the first part that included something other than a girl growing up (It involved a girl dying instead!). But other than that and the ever so highly-anticipated couple finally getting together, nothing else new really happened...as usual.
After reading most of the blog posts again, I must say almost everyone agrees about the overall pros and cons of the book. That the characters are very, very, VERY developed, and the plot...not so much. I do find this true as the entire novel is basically 3 typical teenagers being the typical simple-minded creatures we are; but at the same time we can be the most complex and peculiar variation of mankind there is. It just seems as though that was one of the main thoughts driving Ishiguro when he wrote the novel. He wanted to bring out the uncut teenager mind to the published world. I mean, we must admit that the selfishness of Ruth (as she purposefully divides Tommy and Kathy from falling in love was moderately entertaining).
Normally, this would've been a great idea to a novel. But because the novel lacked ANY real twists or even plot, the novel is almost exactly as Joel described it (thanks to Emily), as a flat-lined Heartbeat monitor. In terms of plot, everything was predictable. We knew Tommy and Kathy were going to be the important couple in the novel upon the opening scene about Tommy's polo. We knew they were all going to be completed (die). And we knew Ruth was really the only antagonist in the novel because of her selfishness that has been displayed all her life. To me, this novel just seemed like I was reading a journal of some typical boring self-conscience girl. It almost seemed as though the dystopian portion of it (donors, clones, etc.) was just added in there at the last minute.
But maybe thats just it. Maybe its because it resembles a teenagers life so well that it catches the attention of so many adults. (Before, I believed that it caught the attention of girls and adults. But now that the novel is done, it seems that both groups are on the same page)So i think we should give this book maybe 10 years before burning it just to give it a second chance. I believe that to truly understand the values of this book doesn't depend on the intelligence level, rather it only depends on the reader having matured out of being a teenager as the novel only reminisces about what being a teenager is like.
Watching the movie could make our interpretation of the novel change..whos up for watching it this weekend?
ReplyDeleteI am a fully functioning human being and because of that I have many flaws... perhaps one or two more than the average person. One of these flaws is I am a book snob. I judge books on a very high standard. I guess it is because I find books to be the most perfected and satisfying depiction of life. Never Let Me Go was far below my standards. In fact I read part three in study hall yesterday not because I'm a procrastinator (at least not always) but because I honestly didn't care enough to find out how it ended, until I found out this third blog post was due... Isn't that sad? I feel like the worst thing that could happen to a book is having readers not even care enough to read.
ReplyDeleteI like books that consume my thought. That makes me think and then re-think. I don't like reading just so I can do something as empty as homework (no offense school district) I want to read because I feel if I didnt finish the story I would be incomplete... Like I said I am a book snob. So usually when I come across an unworthy book I just put it down. Of course being assigned I could not quite do that with Never Let Me Go.
But I am proud to say I soldiered on and in retrospect the novel had some redeeming moments. I feel like the basic idea was fascinating. A world were humans are merely clones, bags of body parts that would one day be harvested. I enjoyed the idea of love being the only thing that could save these people and in black and white the novel appeared to have a little bit of everything Action, Romance,Friendship, Secrets, Corruption and Adventure. But the idea was not illustrated to its fullest potential.
However if there is something that can be said about Ishiguro is boy can he develop characters. As a the only teenage girl I feel like I can agree with Kyle's saying reading this book was like "reading a journal of some typical boring self-conscience girl" On acount of the fact I have written in one or two journals and I would never publish them not just because of my atrocious spelling but because its hard to turn that kind of narration in to a story with any tangible plot. Also the complaints of a teenage girl even living in a world as unique as Kathy's world is STILL BORING.
I feel like the choice to write more than 90% of the book in flash backs made me care less because everything I was discovering had already happened making it very un-suspensful.
So overall I could have gone with out reading this book. I agree there is an interesting message about friendship and the un-expectancy of life however I don't care enough to appreciate it, so... goodbye Never Let Me Go... I'm letting you go...
But it has been fun complaining about this book and I do think the movie looked good so I'm in for watching it.
Final review of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”
ReplyDeleteLet’s just start off this review with a warning: if you see the words “moving” and “beautifully atmospheric” on the back of a book which you will hope is a terrific and exciting dystopian novel, don’t read the book. I could sum up Ishiguro’s novel with this statement: great characters, no plot, great characters, and great characters. I don’t know about you, but after the first “great characters” I’d get a little sick of the characters and want to see them interact with a plot, of which there was none.
I did not enjoy this book, yet I still must rate it on a scale of 10. I have never really tried to rate a book I didn’t like on a scale of 10, so I am going to break this up into categories (keeping in mind that this book was marketed to me as a dystopian novel). Therefore, I would rank the plot out of 4, the ‘dystopian elements’ out of 3, and the characters out of 3 (style can be in either the way the plot is revealed or the way Ishiguro characterizes his characters).
I'll start with the good news. Ishiguro gets a 3 out of 3 for his characters. As we’ve decided on this blog, his characters are extremely developed, to the point where I could even predict the reactions of them to everyday situations, were I asked. His chosen cast complements and act as foils for each other, and this made up a lot of the initial interest in Part I.
Moving on to the dystopian element, I give Ishiguro a 1 out of 3. There was a strong dystopian concept, and, it is creative, but not overly so. This is the idea that (spoiler alert) there are clones raised purely for their organs, a form of government-sponsored organ harvesting. I don’t think this is very creative, but I’ll admit that Ishiguro did a good job in Parts I and II building mystery where there wasn’t much mystery naturally. However, there was not much plot or exciting climax that involved the dystopian element; in fact, it seemed as if the entire plot was based around the background knowledge of the dystopian element rather than having a plot set on uncovering/overcoming it.
So, finally, for the plot score. Sorry Ishiguro, but I feel you only deserve a 1 out of 4. There really was not much plot at all. In fact, the largest events occurred at the breaks between Parts I and II and Parts II and III, and even then these events were mostly changes in location. The climax itself ruined his plot score (it was when the dystopian element was revealed to the reader). The revelation for the reader was similar to the answer I would get if I asked Ishiguro himself, “Well, what’s the deal with the dystopian part? Why are the characters special?” The whole climax was simply a reply, with no events woven in. Also, the plot was told in a number of flashbacks, which got repetitive and boring.
Therefore, Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” warrants a 5 out of 10. His characters are his strongest talent, and because of that I would suggest writing a book that is based purely around its characters (with no promise of a dystopian element that he can’t deliver).
Also, Kyle, I'm up for watching the movie at some point in the near future.
Unfortunately, this post is disgustingly late. Hopefully, Mrs. Huss will still read this and give me partial credit (please please please with a cherry on top?)
ReplyDeleteI really loooove dystopian novels. But I reiterate, as many have said before…this novel falls flat. Never Let Me Go has a few semi-dystopian twists, such as donors and the whole idea of clones and the harvesting of body parts. It’s kind of adorable and cutesy that love can save you. But it isn’t a competent novel, in my eyes. I agree with the possibility that this novel, being the obnoxiously meticulous representation of a teenager’s mindframe, appeals to readers who have forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager, or to those who search the world for things too relate to their own lives because they feel like they need that indirect support. But this novel does not appeal to me. However, I’m going to give Ishiguro the benefit of the doubt and say that he was planning to make an incredible novel. Unfortunately, somebody just published a creative version of his notes. Notes on characters. So many notes…on characters. And a few scribblings about dystopia. A few jotted notes in shorthand about a possible plot. These seem like, as said before, a journal. Not a notebook, for there is no organization, but rather a journal, where every time a new idea came up, it was written down. And some oohing and aahing fangirl (or rather feminine fanboy) thought the premise of love was interesting and took all his notes, his journals, and added some, uh, creativity to it. Yes, that sounds nice. I can feel better now that I “know” that Ishiguro meant to write a fantastic novel. So props to you , Ishiguro, for the deep characters. Let’s take the next step.
Final Review for Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let me Go"
ReplyDeleteFrom what i've learned in the past about reading novels is that everyone has their own opinion on a given novel. However, most books tend to have a similar rating from the majority of its readers. But there are always the few novels that range all over the board. They can be painfully bad to some, but at the same time the best book of all time for another. The novel "Never Let me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro is one of those books with sporadic reviews.
From many adult readers of the novel "Never Let me Go," opinions were general among the lines of "Amazing." However, upon finishing the novel for myself I, and many others, agree that this book could use a lot of work in certain categories. Ishiguro wrote a novel with a good overall idea, overall theme, and characterizations. But there were a lot of things that I wish were different.
First and foremost, the plot of the novel. There was a plot in the novel, but because it was all in past tense the excitement of knowing what happens lowers. Even though the idea of growing organs through clones can be a very interesting dystopian concept, Ishiguro dulled it down by only expressing the life of a typical cloned girl. The plot would much better complimented the dystopian concept had it been about a clone that rebels, or a clone that does something completely different.
Then the theme of the novel seemed nothing other than a cliche; that the power of love can protect it's couples. Only that Ishiguro added a dystopian twist and had the main couple die eventually after being in love. All though the theme itself is nothing special, Ishiguro's interpretation made it effective nonetheless.
And the most interesting category for this novel is its characters. I do agree with everyone else in the fact that Ishiguro's characters are very well developed. So developed, that it is almost as if the reader was in fact friends with them alongside Kathy. However, something that I found relatively annoying about the characters is that how only three of them are defined. There are many characters in the novel that play little towards the plot that could've done more to better the novel, which include the trio's many peers. Even the support characters with special roles don't have much time to be expressed, one character in particular is Madame.
All in all, this could have been a very good book. But because of certain decisions Ishiguro took, the enjoyment of this novel escaped me. Overall, I would rank this book a 6 out of 10 and would recommend it to girls who tend to not think outside the box as much.
Final Review of Never Let Me Go.
ReplyDeleteHate is a very strong word and is not exactly the adjective I would use to describe this novel. I feel no hate for Never Let Me Go instead I just feel empty indifference. My mind was not stimulated by this book it was just B-O-R-E-D. Honestly I am shocked that this novel is a best seller.
I feel as if the entire time I read this book I was waiting for the plot to emerge. But the plot never did come. The whole concept of the novel was written in the past tense giving it a passive and unexciting feel. There was never a climax... When I finished the book I actually flipped back to see if I had missed the exciting climax. But alas there simply wasnt one.
The only redeeming quality of the book was the character development. But in the middle of Part Two I began to get tired of the characters. Oddly enough the author had developed them so much they became predictable. And since the only characters that were throughly developed were the three main ones the whole book became immensely repetitive.
And to me it felt like the dystopian/romantic aspects were incredibly minimal. The romance was subtle and poorly developed. The dystopian world was intriguing but Ishiguro executed it poorly.
I give this book 5 our of 10 (50%)
If I had any suggestions I would say Ishiguro should have spent more time of plot and setting and less time on characters and long narrations. Also it would be great if the flash backs were less of a central aspect of the novel. In fact flashing from present to past didn't really add anything to the plot.
I would recommend this book to people with cliche ideas of teenagers or someone who enjoys reading book just because they win awards and not because they have any literary value.