Revisiting Never Let Me Go

When The New York Times recently published its list of the '100 best books of the 21st century' I was surprised to see that Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (2005) was in the top ten. I read it when it first came out and now, almost 20 years later, I had practically no memory of the tale. A week or so later, NYT readers weighed in, casting their votes on the top 100 and Never Let Me Go remained in its number 9 spot. This led me to wonder whether I had missed some magic in that novel, as both the 'literary luminaries' and punters rated it so highly. So I found the first edition on my shelf and re-read Never Let Me Go. 

In the 1970s, at the Hailsham boarding school in the English countryside, we meet Kathy, Ruth and Tommy as young students. Their teachers, known as 'Guardians', drip feed morsels of information to the children about what their future holds for them. Their ambitions are to be limited, as they have a preordained path. 

They have no real contact with the outside world. Their only possessions are bric-a-brac items they purchased at the 'Sales' for tokens they have earned. These coveted treasures (like pencil cases, cassettes and toys) are saved by students in their secret collections. Students can also use their tokens to purchase artwork made by their colleagues, although Madame takes the best pieces for the gallery. 

When they finish their schooling the three friends end up at the Cottages, residing with other young adults who have been schooled in similar facilities. Kathy has a fondness for Tommy, but he has paired off with Ruth. Kathy is a keen observer of their relationship and, when she tires of being a third wheel, she commences training to become a carer. 

To say much more would give away too much and spoil the reading for others. This has been classed as a dystopian novel (my favourite genre!) and there is an underlying sinister element that is gradually revealed. But while it does depict a bleak alternative future, it is not a strong representative of the genre.

I really liked the narrative voice of the story as told by Kathy, age 31, reflecting back on her life.  She speaks directly to the reader and her memory may be unreliable. She regularly has to give asides or go back a bit to give context to what she is saying. As such, the story meanders in a stream of consciousness reflections.  But what is lacking is an emotional connection.

While there were aspects of the novel I admire, overall I was underwhelmed by Never Let Me Go. As I re-read the novel, I realise that I forgot so much of the story as it didn't resonate and linger in my mind. I am at a loss to understand how it rated so highly in this poll. I much preferred Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun (2021).

Never Let Me Go film

Perhaps the popularity of the novel was increased by the film released in 2010 starring Carey Mulligan (Kathy), Keira Knightly (Ruth) and Andrew Garfield (Tommy), directed by Mark Romanek. I watched the film for the first time this weekend as soon as I finished the book. The three leads played their parts well, especially Mulligan, and the drama is centred more around a love triangle.  I was fascinated by what the film makers chose to cut out of the film. While the omissions moved the story along, it made the story more shallow than the original text and hollowed out the characters.  The film looks lovely with a muted palate of greys and blues, particularly the scene where they go to visit a boat washed ashore. But there is a coldness to the film which makes it hard to connect with the story. Ultimately though, the book is better than the film.