Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Review)

Released March 2005 * 272 pages * ISBN 13: 9780676977103

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is a difficult book to review. I picked it up because the premise was revealed in another review, and I found the premise intriguing. I was disappointed to find that the premise isn’t really the focus of the story (I won’t tell you what it is because that would ruin the book for you). If this all sounds a little mysterious, that’s because it is supposed to be mysterious. At least, that is what the author intends since the premise is not mentioned on the book jacket.

Never Let Me Go chronicles the life of Kathy H. who grows up in a boarding school, Hailsham, that is very nice, if a little odd. The students learn much about literature and arts, but not much about the outside world, and strangely there is never a mention of parents or family. When Kathy H. and her friends eventually leave Hailsham, they come to realize what Hailsham is and their place in society.

This book is a coming of age story, and in that respect is very well done. It is intimate and heart-breaking and I would have enjoyed it more (particularly as a teen) if I had not had other expectations (which is why I’m not telling you what the underlying premise is).

Unfortunately, this book is classified as science fiction. I think that may keep its true audience from finding it, which is not the science fiction enthusiasts. While the classification is technically correct, there is very little exploration of the underlying premise (the science fiction part). The focus of the book is very narrowly on Kathy H. and her friends. While this does help maintain the mystery and presents a very intimate and personal view of the society, it is at the expense of exploring a very controversial issue that is, without explanation, uncontroversial in this fictional world.

If you like Kazuo Ishiguro’s writing (author of Remains of the Day and other novels), coming of age stories or explorations of loss, I recommend Never Let Me Go. Science fiction readers may or may not like it. I certainly don’t regret the time that I spent reading it, but I wanted to see the underlying premise explored more thoroughly than it was.