(2nd group, same book...)
After hearing rave reviews from many about this book, I was excited to see what I thought of it. I must admit, I was a little nervous about it being a distopian novel, as I am more keen towards books grounded in reality, but it turns out there was no need for worry. The novel has managed to hook me in, and it's hard to put the book down after finishing a chapter.
After reading the first few chapters, (mainly 1, 2, and 3), I must say I was not totally interested in the story. The way the story proceeded seemed slow and lagging, and it was hard for me to understand the full picture of what was happening. Part of it may be the point of view from which the story is narrated: a 30 year old woman, Kathy, who is looking back on her experiences at the mysterious boarding school which she attended for all of her childhood and teen years, Hailsham. The way the novel kept moving between the present and memories of Hailsham was confusing for me as the reader, and didn't exactly captivate or excite me to read more.
Luckily, I caught on to the gist of the plot by chapter 3, and began to be sucked in to the mystery of Hailsham, and the secret of why the students there are special. Ishiguro has a very subtle but witty way of pulling the reader in by writing about fairly ordinary situations between students, that could happen at just about any school, but then adding in little events or side notes by the narrator that make me start to wonder what is actually going on at this boarding school for "special" students.
What truly separates this novel from others of its genre, so far at least, is that the author does not take the abnormalities about life at Hailsham to extremes or overexaggerates any situation. The plot seems very believable, as if this could actually happen and these people could exist. There is no alien babies or evil magicians (you get the gist...). The hints that anything is out of the ordinary are very subtle and believable. For example, the students at Hailsham cannot have children of their own, and they have heard a little about how they will become Donors when they are adults. The mystery of these ideas brought up are just enough to keep the reader guessing at what will happen, but don't disinterest the reader by being too out-of-this-worldly.
Overall, after reading the first 8 chapters, I am very impressed with the author's writing technique and the plot of the book, and am excited to see what comes next. If the book keeps going as it has, this could end up being a very worthwhile read in my mind.
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Though just reading the first few chapters of Never Let Me Go, I have already becomed hooked. I do agree with Natalie, the beginning of the book was a bit dragging, but it has also succeeded in captivating my curiosity and interest. The book starts off with many unanswered or unexplained questions. Kathy, the main character, begins with a flashback of Hailsham, where she used to live. During this time things begin to get mysterious and the truth of the situation begins to get suspicious. Kathy and her classmates at Hailsham are destined to be donors and have to donate their organs later in life, but to where, the reader does not know. I am personally puzzled by this as Madame, the supervisor who visits Hailsham occasionally, is afraid of them. In one of Kathy’s flashbacks, Kathy explained, “But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders” (35.) Why would someone be scared of children like spiders? This made be believe that the Hailsham students were not just any normal kids. (Well obviously or the book wouldn’t be as half as exciting.)
ReplyDeleteKazuo Ishiguro also does a good job with the characterization of the main characters. Like we learned in class with our guest speaker, a character should always have a memorable characteristic to concrete him/her in the readers’ brains. Kathy, the speaker, is the curious one who doesn’t settle for lame excuses. Ruth, Kathy’s friend, is a bossy person who enforces her ideas and practices on others. She can become quite rude, but is nonetheless a leader. Tommy, starting out in the book, is the misfit. All the other boys bully and tease him and he is usually the loner. This does change for Tommy, but because he was misunderstood and had problems, this created a more 3D character that was more unforgettable.
I can’t wait to read more of this book. Dystopian novels always interested me and Never Let Me Go seems, so far, exciting. Hopefully soon, my unanswered questions shall be answered.
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by Kazuo Ishiguro
“Never Let Me Go”, so far, is boring. I’ll have to say it. I really love dystopian novels, but so far, this one hasn’t lived up to my dystopian novel expectations. While I agree it has become more interesting after getting past those few especially slow and boring chapters in the beginning, I still believe that this book is not interesting.
None of the characters pop off the page to me. They’re all dull people with the same story. The only remotely interesting character is Kathy’s best friend, Ruth. Ruth has a strong personality; she is independent, strong-willed, and loves to be the center of attention. There’s also Tommy, who, despite his multiple tantrums in the beginning, shows he has a calm, controlling side, and there’s all the mystery about him and Miss Lucy. But other than that, there are no interesting characters. Not even Kathy is interesting. I mean, she is the main character. Shouldn’t the main character be the most interesting one? Nope, not here. Kathy is as dull as one of the random characters who aren’t even needed in the book.
Sure, there’s lots of mystery, which I like. I especially like books that don’t reveal something until the very end. But when that book has too many things that aren’t revealed, then the reader just gets confused or frustrated. Adding to this frustration and confusion is the fact that Kathy doesn’t like to put events in chronological order, you get one irritated reader, like I was after reading the first couple chapters. But really, do we need so many secrets? Why can’t they just tell us what a donor is already? Obviously it is not someone who gives up their organs to someone, or else Kathy would be dead, and Kathy would not be “caring” (another mystery, *sigh*) for Tommy and Ruth, who are also supposed to be donors. I would be a lot less confused if I could just know that. Also, could they explain exactly what these students at Hailsham are? Are they clones or something else? Why in the world can they not have children? Why is the fact they couldn’t have children even slightly important to the plot at all?
Sure, I am enjoying this book, but I have to criticize the dull characters and confusing/frustrating beginning.
The novel Never Let Me Go has been so far been OK for me. It hasn't been too boring nor has it been very captivating.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this book is written in the perspective of a 31-year old, however, is very new to me. So far the books we've read in class are all in a teen's point of view, which usually portrays a very immature tone, yet in this book, the tone is very mature and calm, which may explain the dullness of the novel, like the first sentence of chapter. "My name is Kathy H." The introduction seems very broad and "unwelcoming", but I think Ishiguro had a reason for starting out with such a sentence. Stating one's name, in my opinion, really just opens up the charater's character. I wasn't quite sure if H. was her middle name initial or if it was her last name initial. Either way, the fact that Kathy doesnt state her name was very interesting. It only revealed to me that Ishiguro had a special plan for his characters.
In addition, I'd also like to point out the "upstairs window" of Hailsham. In the beginning of Kathy's flashbacks, she's looking down from the "upstairs window" at the football game. She sees Tommy being bullied by the other people around him. It's not only her, but everyone looking down at the window can make conclusions about what's going on, even though they can't hear anything. In the same way, when Tommy and Kathy go out to the pond outside, she sees a group of Juniors looking out the window down at the two together. I feel like the windows might be a metaphor that overal describes Hailsham. These students seem to look out the window, always observing. (Like Forrester) Again, Ishiguro only leaves us hanging.
Overall, this book seems to be OK. I enjoy the mysterious plot, yet there seems to be no action yet. I'm hoping that the second part of the book will answer a lot of my unanswered questions as well.
I am in agreement with several of the statements that have already been made. The novel, so far, is pretty boring. It just seems to be dragging on with loads of details that don't seem to be important, at least, not yet.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I dislike about this book is that Ishiguro uses the word "daft" too frequently. At first I liked that he used this word, because I don't hear it that often. However, after about the fourth time he had used it, I was tired of it. Maybe I am just picky, but i think that his word choice could have been better.
So far, the plot of this novel kind of reminds me of the movie "The Island," which is a story about rich people that clone themselves so that if they ever need organ transplants, they can take them form their clone. The clones are raised under strict control, and must maintain their health. This is similar to the fact that the children of Hailsham must stay healthy as they grow up and have frequent health check-up, so that their organs can be donated. So far, the donations are the only really interesting part of this book.
I usually like dystopian novels, and I hope that this book will become more entertaining.
This book, at first, did not thrill me too much, as stated before by various people. It started off very bland, describing the life of the career. I did not have high hopes on the entertainment scale; I feared that I had picked a book that I was going to loathe reading. However, as the story progressed, I found myself to be quite captivated.
ReplyDeleteThe story goes back and forth from present time to the past, describing not only the life of the career now, but how she got to be at that point. The narrator shows how they were trained to live at their school/home, and how much it has affected them.
To be blunt, I am struggling to see the purpose behind it. From what I've read, it's really just a woman going down memory lane. But that should change as I continue reading, and more is revealed. I have hopes for this book still.
To be honest, I think most of us (excluding Sam) have underestimated this book… A LOT. Never Let Me Go became a page turner starting from Part 2. Although the mysteries remain, this book really grabbed my attention.
ReplyDeleteThe novel falls into the umbrella theme of “Maturation” and “Conformity”. Maturation is shown in all the characters once they reach the Cottages. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy seem to have broke away from Hailsham standards and have opened their eyes to new possibilities. An example would be the times when the students in the Cottages would gather to talk about their “dream futures”. In Hailsham, this was prohibited, yet in the Cottages, there was more flexibility where they couldn’t regard “dream futures” as fantasy nor as a serious topic. Kathy states: “Maybe once Hailsham was behind us, it was possible…We somehow managed to live in this cosy state of suspension in which we could ponder out lives without the usual boundaries” (142-143). Through this kind of freedom, Kathy matures as she discovers new things in the outside world.
Yet for Ruth, conformity seems to follow up maturation. After leaving Hailsham, the three friends face reality, which in this case are social norms. An example would be (sorry for the inappropriate example) the porn magazines that have been going around the Cottages. Nobody admitted the fact that they enjoyed the magazines for possibly two reasons: their fear of losing their reputation and/or the fear of breaking the set norms. Kathy narrates:
When Ruth and I were remembering all this a few years ago, she claimed there were dozens of those magazines circulating around the Cottages.
“No one admitted to liking them,” she said. “But you remember how it was. If one turned up in a room, everyone pretended to find it dead boring. Then you came back half an hour later and it would always be gone.” (133).
And yet, while reading the book, it looks like the people who made the norms were the veterans themselves… unconsciously. It doesn’t seem like they purposely set up the standards. They too were embarrassed to admit that they enjoyed such magazines which caused all of the students to hide their guilty pleasures as well.
Overall, Never Let Me Go really surprised me because I had never thought it would be just a captivating book. Yet, nevertheless, I am expecting all my unanswered questions to be answered by the time I am finished with Part 3.
Sheridan Foy
ReplyDeleteNovel by Kazuo Ishiguro
Okay, I have to admit, although this novel was boring enough to put me to sleep, I am now able to read this book without any drowsiness! I’m just kidding; what I really mean is, now, this book is suddenly *gasp* interesting! With Kathy, Ruth, Tommy thrust into reality and the world of the Cottages, their true personalities begin to shine through. Well, Kathy and Tommy don’t change much. Sure, they’re more mature, but Ruth is the interesting one. She still keeps her independent nature, and she seems to be doing well in this new environment, but really, I think she’s a little insecure. For example, she quickly conforms to the new society of veterans. She acts like she forgets Hailsham at times in front of the veterans just so they will like her. Also, there’s that whole thing at the end of Part 2 when she tells Kathy that she and Tommy could never be a couple. Seriously, who does that? I don’t remember Kathy thinking about Tommy in a romantic way at all, do you? Why in the world would Ruth suddenly believe her best friend would take her boyfriend away from her? There’s only one possible answer: insecurity.
One of the least boring parts of Part 2 is that trip to Norfolk, the lost corner of England. Ruth, Kathy, Tommy, and that random veteran couple travel there to find Ruth’s “possible”. I was actually glad for Ishiguro to include these “possibles”. Now I finally understand that these Hailsham students are clones (one mystery solved, about twenty more to go)! Anyway, in their trip to Norfolk, Ruth is looking for her possible, and when they find her, they stalk her for a while (creepy) and find that the woman was not really Ruth’s possible. Ruth seems disappointed, even though she says she doesn’t really care. This scene shows a little bit more about Ruth: she likes to cling to fantasies, such as the possibility that she will grow up to be like her possible. It leads me to believe that she does actually remember everything about Hailsham, since childhood can be described as a fantasy. It also proves her conformity to society.
All in all, this book is becoming slightly interesting, Ruth is becoming more interesting and insecure, and the main characters of Never Let Me Go are stalkers (just kidding).
My first post was exstatic about the novel; My view on the book has only changed a bit since then. The book is still very interesting, and pulls the reader in.... but at this point, I had expected a little more action in the plot. The book has continued to describe the lives of Kathy, and her two close friends Ruth and Timmy. They have now graduated from Hailsham, and are living at a new location called the Cottages. I just feel like the book keeps describing everyday events of the characters' lives, nothing too special.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, many of the scenes are still very captivating and thought provoking. For instance, when Kathy goes along with Ruth and a group of others to Norfolk; the whole idea of "possibles" is an interesting idea unique to this novel. It got me to thinking about what I would do if I was a clone; would I search for my possible, or blow it off as a lost cause? Right now, I think that I would probably feel the same way as most other clones, wanting to find that person from which I was created. It seems like they would be a sort of motherly/fatherly figure. On the other hand, I would also be afraid to find out that they are a criminal, drug addict, etc. because you want to be the best you can,and you were created from this possible, you want the assurance that he/she was a good person his/herself.
But the biggest point I would like to bring up is in relation to the interesting idea this novel portrays about the future, and humanity. In the story, they have found a way to easily clone humans, and so clone many humans to get access to body parts needed for "original" humans with a disease, injury, or bodily malfunction.The clones are treated like we in the U.S. treated African American slaves: extremely inhumanely and as if they have no rights. This circumstance got me to thinking about reality, and what will happen when (or if) we find a way to simply clone human beings. Ishiguro portrays most of the human world as totally ignorant and uncaring to how the clones are treated; is he making a statement about the real world, that perhaps human beings are very selfish, and overlook the inhumanities that are going on in the world? And then to myself, I ask, is this reflection Ishiguro makes in his novel really so far fetched? When we do have the possibility of cloning humans for medical purposes, can we expect all of the world to be completely humane? Looking at such great world tragedies of the past, such as WWII, the Rwandan Genocide, etc. they all singled out one racial/ethnic minority to harm or demolish. Creating clones could become the same sort of disaster. People might argue that the clones are using up precious resources (food, water, clothing, etc.) that is needed for the already large human population. Looking from a political viewpoint, "Never Let Me Go" could be seen as a very interesting commentary on humanity as a whole, and the problems that lie below the surface.
Unlike many people blogging on this book, I found that I liked this book a lot, until Part 2. I felt like Part 1 was just a normal introduction, not very eventful but very interesting to hear about the lives of the cloned children at Hailsham, but then it all fell apart when Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy left Hailsham for the cottages. This then transforms into a long, boring description of having sex, who to date, and how to adjust and blend in. Yes, I still think Never Let Me Go is a really well written book, but I just feel like it drags on too long at this part. It also feels like there was always some sort of tension between the three friends; in my beliefs they weren’t at all that good of friends to begin with. Ruth especially since she is like that one bossy, know-it-all we all have in at least one of our classes. I found that after looking back at all my sticky notes for Part 2, almost all of them consist of pointing out how bad of a friend Ruth is. And then all these irritating questions keep popping in my head like, “Why isn’t Kathy standing up for herself?” or “Why hasn’t someone punch Ruth yet?” or “Someone needs to punch Ruth!” (Yes, I know that last one wasn’t a question.) And as I keep reading along, I start to hate Ruth even more and more. When I first picked out this book to read, I thought it would focus more on the dystopian part rather than the friendship/relationship part of the characters. This does make the novel more personal and human, but it also detracted a little on the plot and loses some of my interest. But overall, I’m glad I did pick out this book because I notice that as I read further, the novel seems to be picking up and becoming more of the jaw dropping book I first envisioned it to be.
ReplyDeleteIn reading the second part of "Never Let Me Go", I surprisingly find myself much more captivated. I throw the word "surprisingly" in that sentence, because the entire second part is about one topic: the Cottages. It's, in a sense, the half-way point in their lives. People from Hailsham go to the Cottages after they "graduate", and can spend up to three years there before moving onto training to be a carer. I like to compare it to the transition between high school and college. They talk about how they had so much issues separating from their groups and becoming independent, which is very similar to going to college. You break apart from everything you know when you go to college, especially when you are going to an out of state college where you know no one.
ReplyDeleteThis part also shows a deeper evaluation of the relationship between the trio: Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. As the reader, you really get to see the thoughts of Kathy, being cast away, in a sense, from Ruth as she tries to impress the "veterans". It also shows the relationship between the couple, Ruth and Tommy, more in depth. I quite enjoyed this, for I never really agreed with the pairing. With Ruth's outgoing and extravagant behavior mixed with the quiet and shy Tommy, I always had a hope that he would end up with Kathy instead. Tommy is too fragile for Ruth, and I thought he would do much better with Kathy. Alas, that has not happened in this part. (Keep your fingers crossed for part three!)
Part two also shows more depth on their purpose in life. They are, essentially, made for donating organs to their clone. So in a part of these chapters, Ruth is close to finding her "possible", that is, her clone. They talk about how they are made to become more like their clone as they become a carer, which I thought was interesting. I also wondered if they ever felt cheated, like they couldn't live out their own life because they were destined to be like someone else before them. To be frank, I certainly would be vexed.
Overall, I'm quite enjoying this book. It's very fascinating now, and I cannot wait to read the next part. I'm also very much so intrigued to find out more about the relationships! What can I say? I'm a sucker for romance.
Unlike most of the posts that I have been reading, I found the first part of the novel to be much more interesting than the second. In the first part I had a reason that I wanted to turn the page. I wanted to know what the donations were, why the guardians acted so strange, and why Madame took the student art. However, in the second part, there wasn't really anything that I found particularly intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI realize that this part of the novel was mainly focused on showing us the relationships between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, but these developed quite slowly with many small events that weren't very thought provoking. It just seems that Ruth would ignore Tommy and Kathy to try to gain approval from the veterans, and then Tommy and Kathy wouldn't say anything until the last minute. I found this part of the novel to be annoying, because it made me feel like I was reading about a bunch elementary-schoolers rather than young adults.
However, there was one mildly interesting part in this section. Two of the veterans thought they had found Kathy's "possible" in an office building while they were out one day. A possible is someone who the character may have been cloned from. To find out if she is the person Ruth was cloned after, they follow her through town, only to realize that she is not who Ruth was cloned form, which was quite a disappointment.
I hope that the final part of this novel will interest me; perhaps a major twist or some kind of tragedy. I guess I will just have to wait and see.
What a letdown. Though, Part 3 is not as bad as Part 2, I still do not like it at all. What really ticks me off is how Ms. Emily and Marie-Claude feel as if they accomplished great heights when really, they did nothing. When explaining to Tommy and Kathy about their efforts to help clones live a better life, Ms. Emily states, “Marie-Claude worked hard for our project. And the way it all ended has left her feeling somewhat disillusioned. As for myself, whatever the disappointments, I don’t feel so badly about it.” How can you not feel bad when your efforts were all in vain? How can you not feel bad when thousands of clones are being killed for their own organs for inhumane science? Ms. Emily and Marie-Claude, to me, seem like two wealthy old ladies with nothing to do with all the time on their hands, so they go and try to “help” clones, like a hobby. They did not feel any empathy for Kathy and Tommy, being Tommy was going to be killed in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for characterization, I do not feel like Ishiguro does a very good job with developing the characters as the plot furthers. Yes, Kathy and Tommy finally get together, but they do not really share a closer relationship (besides all the sex) as before they are a couple. Ruth plays a meaningless character because she does not benefit the novel, and dies in the end. And if Ishiguro is trying to portray to the audience that the clones are just as human as human beings, then he fails in the long run. None of the characters, besides Tommy in a few situations, express any anger or violent feelings towards the reason of their lives. All of the clones just let themselves be taken to facilities to be cut up and eventually robbed of their lives. Overall, I'm greatly disappointed.
I hate to say this, but the book has completely let me down in the las 1/3 of the book. For the first two parts, Ishiguro had me hooked on this mystery about donations and "possibles", and I enjoyed following the lives of the three main characters: Ruth, Kathy, and Tommy. Since then, the book seemed to stop being mysterious, and just started to follow the lives of the main characters from day to day. For some reason, whenever I think of Kathy, Ruth or Tommy, I always think of an elderly person, frail and gray haired, when in reality they are supposed to be only in their 30's. I attribute this strange visual of the three because the book does not make them seem very lively at all. And with all the talk of Kathy caring for Ruth, it seems like Ruth is an old lady.
ReplyDeleteAside from that semi-random note... I found the "romance" between Tommy and Kathy annoying. Earlier in the novel, I remember thinking that they would be a cute couple because they talked about deep stuff together and always seemed to get along well, but since their more youthful days, the book never really talked much about their interactions. Due to their lack of a relationship later in the novel, it seemed weird when Ruth randomly tells Kathy and Tommy they should be together, and suddenly Kathy and Tommy are having sex all the time. Plus, they don't actually seem to be in love, and Ishiguro never mentions anything remotely romantic between the two besides countless scenes that make clear their infatuation with spending time in bed (if you know what I mean).
My last complaint about this 3rd part is that what I thought was a mystery throughout the whole book... turned out to be pretty minor in my eyes. I thought there would be some huge surprise that would make me take a moment and reread to make sure I was correct. Unfortunately, it just turns out that two old ladies wanted to be charitable, and so created this school, Hailsham, to create a better life for child clones. It just didn't make me at all interested, and the old ladies characters were very annoying; they never explained why Madame was so cold to the clones.
On a better note, I commend the author for the first two parts of the book, they were very well written and interesting. If only the third part had been the same. I also liked the ideas brought up by the clones being mistreated by humans. It seemed like Ishiguro was trying to make a statement about humanity, that people only want what's best for themselves, and are willing to overlook problems in the world because they don't want those troubles on their concience.
For part three, I was really expecting more. The big mystery behind the gallery was going to be revealed, and Ruth, Tommy, and Kath were all reunited. However, it appeared to be uneventful and almost nonchalant instead of exciting. Though my hopes for Kath and Tommy to be together came true, it did not turn out how I would have liked it to be. Kath became Tommy's carer, from Ruth's will, and they slowly let their romance bloom. It did not appear to be all that exciting besides sex, however. Sure there were the short blurbs about how they talked together, but I never really got to see the details behind the romance, and that aggravated me.
ReplyDeleteThe situation with Ruth was slightly more appeasing to me. There was still the bickering and awkwardness between the two friends that I liked in the first two parts, which turned out to make their time together more interesting. It was alleged that Ruth's carers all disliked her, so I was excited to see how Kath would handle it. It was a shock to see how Ruth's first donation did not go well, and it made me even more intrigued to see how the other donations would go. Ruth seemed almost alien like at times due to her surgery, and the only moment that I truly saw the Ruth from parts one and two was right before she died.
Besides that aspect, though, is the mystery of the gallery. I was waiting for what seemed like forever to know why they really used their art. I knew that Tommy and Kath's views on the art was preposterous, the fact that they proved who they could be with, but I didn't expect what Ms. Emily said. The fact that it was all for a political matter of proving they had souls just irritated me completely. I felt cheated out a little bit, like they had promised me cake and then at the last minute said, "Just kidding, you're not getting any. It's all mine."
Over all, though, it was a fascinating read. I thought that it could have used a little more plot aspects to it to make it feel more complete, but I really did enjoy reading this book.
Finally, the book has come to a close, and I no longer have any reason to rant about how boring it is anymore (well, there’s still the review, so I guess I can rant a little more). So, after all (boring) secrets were revealed (boringly) in a (boring) conversation with some (boring) teachers and a (boring) passive main character, I no longer had an urge to read this book, other than the fact I am being graded. Honestly, I had hoped that scene would be a little more exciting, since it’s the climax, but apparently, it’s no big deal, doesn’t have to be so exciting or anything ‘cause, you know, this whole book has been sluggish and boring, so why would the climax be any different?
ReplyDeleteI started getting more excited about Part 3 when Tommy and Kathy got together, but unfortunately, I was disappointed, like Emily. It wasn’t romantic AT ALL. Instead, it was, like the rest of the book, boring. However, their new relationship was imperative to the plot, so I let it go.
Remember that part where Ruth confessed to Kathy that she had been lying to her at the Cottages? To me, it was the most annoying parts of the book. Well, not that entire scene bothered me. What really bothered me was Ruth telling Kathy and Tommy that they should become a couple and get a deferral. I first, I was happy, because I thought now they would be a couple and maybe the book would be a little more interesting! However, as I kept reading that part of the scene, I realized something…this doesn’t make any sense. When did Ruth decide that Kathy and Tommy could be a couple? Sure, Tommy sometimes talked about Kathy, but that was only because they were best friends. Also, since Kathy is passive all the time and never seems to express any emotions, she never hinted at all that she liked Tommy other than as a friend. It frustrated me, but, again, imperative to the plot, so I let it go.
Over all, this was a disappointing book. How in the world did this become a best-seller?
Okay, like the rest of you this book really was a disappointment. The mystery about an extension from becoming a donor seemed like a really unique and interesting climax that Ishiguro had built up. I guess I had too much of a high expectation for Part 3.
ReplyDeleteMajority of the book was rather confusing and the ending almost seemed as though Ishiguro had a train ride to catch and just scribbled the ending of the story and published it. I had expected a deep, dark secret that Mrs. Emily and the Madam would finally share. Yet, the "deep, dark secret" turned out to be a something not nearly as exciting. The same applies for (like people mentioned above) Tommy and Kathy. Their relationship and affection they shared is very vague. While reading the novel, I felt myself doubting and questioning their love for each other. Of course they've been friends for a long time and of course they have always talked out their troubles, but all these events seem like they're more likely to be friends. The sex scenes hint that they're probably beyond the friend zone, yet other than that, there's nothing especially memorable about them.
...
To be really honest, one of the reasons why I chose this book was because it was a national bestseller and Time had even called it "The best novel of the decade". I really wanted to read something that would captivate me and change the way I think, feel, and act. But, to my disappointment, this book didn't do anything but make me frustrated, confused, and lost. Yet, I think it's important to realize (I'm not underesting anyone or anything) that this book is rather difficult for an audience our age to read. The same applies to the book Man's Search For Meaning. I'm sure a lot of us felt confused and lost by such complicated ideas. I admit I was too. But I find that I'm almost feeling the same way for Never Let Me Go. I know that this book (even Man's Search For Meaning) has so many moral lessons that we can learn about society. Yet I think it takes a more mature mind to solve the mystery that Ishiguro has written in his novel.
Much like the first two parts of this novel, I found the third part to be a disappointment. I was hoping that in this part there would be an exciting event, or something that would evoke some sort of emotion. However, this part of the novel is just like the rest of the novel and is just boring.
ReplyDeleteReading part three was like watching paint dry: nothing eventful happens, it takes a long time, and when your done, you wondering why you just wasted your time watching paint dry.
In the third part, there weren't many major events. And even if there were, they weren't entertaining, because of the way in which they were told. I also found that it was difficult to not get distracted while reading this book. There wasn't anything about this part of the novel that grabbed my attention, therefore, it took me a while to read it. Now that I'm finished with the book, I feel that I have wasted my time. The third part of this novel didn't evoke any thoughts or emotions, which is what novels are supposed to do.
One thing that I did like about part three was that Ruth finally acknowledged how annoying she had acted in the first two parts of the book. After this confession, it seems like Ruth and Kathy would have grown closer, but when Ruth dies, Kathy shows no emotions.
Not all of part three was extremely bad, however. Kathy and Tommy finally end up together. I liked this part of the novel, because I had been wanting them to get together since the beginning. But of course, Ishiguro also succeeds in making this romance extremely boring. Kathy barely explains any emotions that she feels throughout their relationship. Rather than saying how she feels about Tommy, she just says things she does with Tommy.
Overall, the third part of the novel was flat. When Kathy and Tommy went to talk to Madame I was expecting something BIG to happen. However, this "big secret" turned out to be a bit of a let down.
I usually enjoy science fiction novels, however, Never Let Me Go was a bit of a disappointment. The book lacks detail, has a flat plot, and flat characters.
Review of "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
ReplyDeleteThis dystopian novel is full of mysteries (mostly confusing) that can really grab anyone who's interested in *extremely* complex novels.
Honestly, this book wasn't exactly what I expected. Yet, I really did enjoy Part 2. It was very different from Part 1 because I found many connections to the world today. Yet, Part 3 completely lost me. I had such high expectations for this novel, but it didn't satisfy me at all after I finished reading the last page. It left me with the question: "That's it...?" It seemed as if Ishiguro had just quickly wrapped up the novel for time's sake. It was something that I had not expected at all -- considering that this book recieved so many prizes and praises from public.
But, to be honest, I think that Ishiguro has a message hidden somewhere amongst all the mysteries and confusion that requires something that we don't all have yet. I mean, there should be a REASION why Times calls it "The best novel of the decade." There should be a reason why The New Republic says that "Ishiguro's success in writing a novel that is at once epculative, experimental, and humanly moving is almost miraculous." Yet, right now, all I have to say for this book is that it made me frustrated, it's confusing, and it's filled with things that make noooo sense. But still, I know that there's something really important in Ishiguro's insane novel that connects all the confusion, the clone concept, the unnecessary sex scenes, Hailsham, and the tape record by Judy Bridgewater (which happens to really exist) to the title Never Let Me Go.
Overall, I would give this novel a 5 out 10. But, it's definitely something that I would like to re-read in the waaay future.
Review of "Never Let Me Go"
ReplyDelete7/10 stars
A good novel should never be able to be summarized in one word; unfortunately, this is the case with "Never Let Me Go": forgettable. Strangley, had I attempted to use one word in previous chapters of the book, I would not have been able to. Instead, I would have given a good review of the book, going on about many different aspects of the writing and plot. In parts 1 and 2, Ishiguro managed to capture the reader very well and make one excited to continue reading; the lives of the characters were interesting, and the mysterious donations were still not totally clear. Yet in part 3, everything went downhill. The plot became dominated by sex scenes between Tommy and Kathy, as well as a very dull revelation of the characters' when they realized how most clones in the world are treated, and what Hailsham really was. Nothing captured the emotion of the reader, and it was hard to relate to the characters anymore.
On the other hand, I totally agree with Grace that there must be something we are missing. Perhaps I sound too "old-ladyish" when I say this, but I think all of us may be too young to have read this novel. In our teen years, we are searching more for constant action and entertainment, and most of us don't like taking the time to think deeply about a the meaning of life and such; do realize that I am making a generalization here, and not trying to offend anyone. But just look at the books that sell for teen audiences: "Twilight" (constant action between vampires and werewolves, with tons of romance mixed in between Bella, Jacob and Edward), Harry Potter (wizards and witches trying to defeat the dark lord at all costs). I must say, neither of these series deal much with "the bigger picture". In my personal experience, I feel like while I was searching for a big moment when the mystery of the donations would be revealed, I was missing a lot of the messages about humanity, and life in itself. I cheated a bit, and watched the trailer for the recently released movie to this novel, and it made me realize what the novel was really supposed to be about: the true tragedy of the clones, their short lived lives, and the loss of their dreams with their own aging. I hope I will reread this book when I am older, and have more experience in life, because I know that it definitely makes some good points about life, but I'm not sure I can totally appreciate the message right now.
You may still be wondering why, then, I gave the novel a 7/10, after giving the ending such a bad review. Well, I realize that the ending may have disappointed me, but overall, the book brought up good points about humanity and life, and the first two parts were very interesting for me. I'm not about to bring it down just because of part 3.
Review of "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro by Samantha Wong
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Natalie’s post about the movie’s trailer, I watched it and was surprised on how much I actually liked it. I agree with Grace and Natalie that there is a message hidden in Ishiguro’s novel. If you look at this book in a different lens and get rid of all your frustrations about the characters’ personalities, it can be quite likeable. Weren’t the students at Hailsham raised to be lacking in emotion? They never were faced with bad situations and were always supplied with everything they needed. So it makes sense that we feel frustrated when reading about them, because we just can’t relate. At a young age, we all faced hardships to some degree and learned from our parents and others around how to react and deal with them. These students never experienced this before, so their actions would seem less human to us. Maybe this book isn’t even about the science or futuristic settings. But yes, from looking at this book in the way that we have, wanting more action and more human emotions to relate with, this book kind of sucks. But I don’t think that’s how Ishiguro meant for his book to be read as.
I would give this book a 6.5/10 because I personally didn’t like it much, but I can see how it actually is about the humanity of our world. Since I did not read it like that, only focusing on the plot, I would have to reread this in order to see its real meaning. Though I definitely want to see the movie now! I would recommend this book to more advanced readers.
Review of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
ReplyDeleteI give this book a 4 out of 10 overall. If I was to describe this book in three words, they would be boring, boring, but most of all, boring. Sure, it had a semi-interesting plot and was full of mystery, but a book is meant to entertain. It is meant to be read for hours on end in the hands of an interested reader who may reread it over and over again and maybe recommend it to some friends. However, I highly doubt I will ever read it again, and I’m sure I’ll never recommend it. If I ever did read it for hours on end, it was because I was trying to get it over with. And I was definitely not interested.
Since this book’s purpose is obviously not to entertain, I can’t help but wonder exactly what its purpose is. Though its characters are clones, it is not meant to give a new outlook on a possible future society in which clones are accepted. It is not meant to follow a child’s life through his/her maturity. What exactly is its purpose? Maybe Ishiguro was meaning to entertain but failed miserably. Maybe the book was supposed to provide a message to the reader, but the book was so bland and confusing that myself as the reader missed it.
Trying to read this book is like trying to run in a dream. Sometimes, you try to run from some nameless terror but you never seem to run fast enough. You urge your legs to move faster, but they disobey, and soon the terror catches up to you. There was nothing in this book that urged me to read any faster, even though I sincerely wished I could just get it over with. Why was this book so slow to read? Well, obviously, it was somewhat complex, but mainly, it was because nothing was urging me to read it quickly. Nothing really brought me into the story. Its characters were passive. Its plot, which had much potential, was uninteresting. Its purpose is either failing or nonexistent.
I would like to end this review with a metaphor. Imagine waking up on cold Monday morning. You realize the weekend’s over and that you have school today. It immediately puts you in a bad mood. You walk to the kitchen for breakfast, and see that your mother has made you oatmeal. Unfortunately, the bland oatmeal has gone cold and lumpy. You immediately dump it out. Never Let Me Go reminds me of this oatmeal. It is bland and uninteresting. I still do not know why this book would become a best-seller anywhere.
I'll give this book a five point five out of ten.
ReplyDeleteNever Let Me Go was a very interesting book, full of very thought provoking ideas throughout the chapters. But I never really found a point behind all of the writing.
Sometimes, when I read a book like this, I can let it slide. For example, in Brave New World, it was to present this idea of a whole other way that the world could run, and it was presented in a fascinating way. But in Never Let Me Go, there were actual characters, but no plot. It threw me off, because I didn't have anything to look forward to at times. I was just skimming over the pages to read a book. It didn't feel like I really needed to read this book for my benefit.
It was, however, somewhat of an intriguing read. There were some good concepts and ideas behind the novel, and I was really awaiting to know what happened next at some points. But, despite the great mysteries the author made, he did not complete them. He left the book as a cliff hanger, and also left some of the mysteries as completed in a lazy fashion. It made me want to throw the book across the room. Except that would mean breaking the book, and it was a library book, so I couldn't do that, could I?
Overall, I guess this book was alright. I don't think I'd read it again, but it's not terrible for a project. Again, I'd give it five point five out of six.